


The Missing and Extended Moments

by litladyloveshp



Series: The Missing and Extended Moments [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Compliant to a Point, F/M, Fluff and Angst, betty and jughead - Freeform, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 03:56:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 60
Words: 159,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11615385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litladyloveshp/pseuds/litladyloveshp
Summary: Starting before the beginning of the series. Looking over crucial moments in the friendship between Archie and Jughead (in the first couple chapters) and the romantic relationship between Betty and Jughead. Shifts between Jughead and Betty POV.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If this work seems familiar, you might have read it previously on fanfiction.net. Happy reading!

The last day of school. Freshman year is finally over and summer can begin. Jughead Jones was standing by his locker, talking to his best friend, Archie Andrews, about their summer plans. Jughead had been bugging Archie to go on a road trip for years. Now that school was over and the two of them were old enough to drive, it seemed like this was the first year they could actually go.

Despite a reputation for being surly, Jughead was unable to contain his excitement.

"So I am thinking we go full Kerouac. Stopping at diners, just going and not looking back. Time nor parents to constrain us…" Jughead spoke of these plans at his fastest talking speed.

"Slow down, Jug." Archie said, holding his hands up. "I have to work construction all summer for my dad. I told him about the trip, but I am not sure how much time he is gonna let me take off."

Jughead sighed. He knew that Archie made a good point, but he really didn't want to accept the possibility that they might not go.

"Oh come on. Your dad isn't going to mind you taking a few days off for the road trip." Jughead reasoned, putting his books in his locker.

"He might not mind, but it is a job, Jug. A job for my dad's construction company that he hopes I will take over one day." Archie reasoned.

Jughead could hear the sadness in his best friend's voice.

"You know, just because your dad wants you to, it doesn't mean you have to." Jughead rationalized, closing his locker door to face his friend

"It is not like I have anything else going on." Archie stated, looking around as if he were hoping someone else would refute this fact.

Jughead wished he could help, but Jughead considered himself an honest guy. Archie was his best friend, but the guy didn't seem to have much going for him in the talent or hobby department.

"Besides, not all of us are aspiring novelists." Archie stated, trying to move on.

"Aspiring, but unsuccessful. Riverdale has to be the least inspiring place on the planet." Jughead snarked, his frustrations with his own hobby apparent. "'The Town With Pep'. More like 'The Town Where The Pep Left About 50 Years Ago'"

They stood there in silence for a moment

"That wasn't your best line, Jug." Archie told him honestly

"I know. That is how uninspired I am." Jughead replied "Which is why I am seeking inspiration outside of this town."

Jughead could hear the sadness in his own voice now. He hoped he was able to mask the desperation however.

"I get it Jug, I do." Archie reasoned, pulling on the straps of his backpack "But things might not work out the way we want them to."

Jughead was instantly worried.

"Wait, you are not backing out on me, are you?" Jughead accused.

"What? No. I would never back out on you. I am looking forward to this trip as much as you are." Archie said sincerely.

"I doubt that." Jughead snarked, trying to breathe a sigh of relief without Archie noticing. "But I am glad you are dedicated."

Archie smiled. Things had been kind of distant between the two of them since Archie joined the football team. Among other things, Jughead hoped that Archie and he could reconnect on this road trip.

Jughead pulled a map out of his back pocket to show Archie.

"Anyway, I was thinking we could make the first stop…" Jughead began, starting to unfold the map to point.

Jughead didn't get to finish his sentence because Betty Cooper, Archie's other best friend, had shown up to talk to them by the lockers. Not that he minded; they had all been friends for years.

"Hey Archie" Betty said breathlessly, smiling from ear to ear, glowing in that way that she only seemed to do around Archie.

"Betty, Hey!" Archie replied, a somewhat less emphatic smile creeping across his face.

There was a brief pause before Betty turned away from Archie.

"Hi Juggie." Betty replied, still smiling but no longer glowing.

"What's up, Betts?" Jughead responded, nodding in her direction

"You are never gonna believe what has happened!" Betty exclaimed, looking between her two friends.

"Cheryl and Jason Blossom finally released their sex tape?" Jughead joked, trying to ignore the differences in the ways she greeted them

"Ew, no. You know Jason and my sister are dating, Jug." Betty replied, a look of disgust on her face.

"He might be dating your sister, but he shares milkshakes with his sister. If there is not some Game of Thrones type of thing going down there…"

"What happened, Betty?" Archie asked, interrupting Jughead from whatever sarcastic insult he was about to finish.

"I got a literary internship!" Betty squealed.

"Wow. That's amazing!" Archie said, pulling Betty into a hug.

Betty laughed as she wrapped her arms around Archie, her smile lighting up the usually dim locker corridor. Anyone with eyes could see that Betty was in love with Archie. Jughead had know it for years even though he had never said anything to either of them about it. Anyone could have figured it out, except Archie apparently.

Jughead started feel uncomfortable. That had been happening more recently. Betty was in love with Archie, Archie was oblivious, and Jughead was trying to pretend to be unaffected by the changes in their friendship. No longer were their days filled with carefree trips to Pop's without romantic attachment. Betty pined and Archie remained blissfully unaware. Whenever Jughead sat down and started thinking about what made this so uncomfortable, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Part of it could have been just the endless waiting for one of them to verbally acknowledge the shift in their relationship. The other part could have been that Jughead knew Archie very well and wasn't sure that Betty was going to come out of this happy. And despite how uncomfortable this romantic possibility was making things, Jughead didn't want Betty to be hurt.

While Jughead continued to ponder this, he realized that Archie and Betty had been hugging for awhile.

"Congratulations, Betty." Jughead added, just as a way to remind the two of them that he was still there.

Archie and Betty pulled apart, Betty looking disappointed.

"Aw, thanks Juggie." Betty replied, patting him on the shoulder.

Jughead raised his eyebrows at the shoulder pat. It wasn't exactly the most indicative of a life long friendship, but he understood.

"What kind of literary internship is it? Like, what would you be doing?" Archie said, starting to walk away from the lockers.

"It seems like your pretty standard internship." Betty said, following Archie with Jughead trailing behind the two of them "Get coffee, file paperwork, pick up dry cleaning. Maybe, if I get lucky, I will get to help set up and take down book release parties."

Jughead nodded. It sounds interesting enough.

"That's incredible. When does it start?" Archie asked, beating Jughead to the punch

"A week. Crazy right?" Betty said, smiling.

"Crazy but amazing. Betty, this is so awesome for you." Archie said, looking as though he were about to hug her again

"So where is this internship?" Jughead asked, yet another reminder that he was still standing there.

"Oh, um." Betty replied, taking a couple steps back from the embrace she almost had. "That is the tricky part. It is in LA."

"LA? As in Los Angeles?" Archie asked, his voice filled with confusion

"I doubt she is abbreviating Louisiana as LA." Jughead snarked, not sure why he was annoyed all of a sudden "How long are you going to be gone for?"

"That depends. The initial internship is 6 weeks, but if they like me, I could end up there until right before school starts."

"That is phenomenal Betty." Jughead tells her, feeling genuinely happy for his good friend.

Archie, however, is not looking too happy with the latest development.

"You are gonna be gone all summer? I won't get to see you at all?" Archie asked with a lot of sadness in his voice

Betty looked guilty.

"We can Skype. Or call. Or text. Or email. Or maybe I can come home for 4th of July weekend…" Betty tried to suggest

"That wouldn't work." Jughead said, stopping Archie from talking. "4th of July weekend is our road trip. Maybe Bastille day..."

"That would be great, Juggie." Betty said, clearly not paying attention to what he said. "Well, I have to go. I told Kevin I would let him know as soon as I found out if I got the internship."

"Ok." Archie said, sounding disappointed. "See you later."

"Bye." Betty said, smiling as she walked away from them.

Archie stared after her, looking confused.

"Arch, it is gonna be ok. Betty will be back." Jughead reassured him, not sure why his old pal needed reassuring. It is not like Betty was leaving forever.

"I know." Archie said, looking back at Jughead. "It's just, we have never been apart before. Any of us. Me, you, Betty, Kevin…the four of us have been inseparable since elementary school."

"Ah yes." Jughead remembered "I remember when Mrs. Waid tried to tell Betty she couldn't play in our sandbox because we were boys and she just marched over and did it anyway."

Jughead smiled at the memory. Betty has always been in their lives, in his life, in some form or another.

"Exactly. And what if she misses something?" Archie asked, sounding anxious

"Miss what? You working construction? Me at the drive in working on my novel? Kevin interning for his dad." Jughead once again rationalized "She would have been so bored here this summer with the three of us going our separate ways."

"I guess you're right." Archie acquiesced "But it isn't going to be the same around here without her."

"You are right about that." Jughead confirmed.

Jughead and Archie both quieted down after that. Jughead felt himself agreeing with Archie in spite of himself. A Betty-less summer was a grim prospect indeed. This internship sounded amazing and he wanted that for her, but Jughead was already feeling how empty Riverdale was going to be without the blonde haired girl in it.

They both started staring at the hallway Betty had just walked down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One week after Chapter 1, Betty prepares to leave for LA and her two best friends prepare to say goodbye to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to try to publish a chapter a day until it is all caught up to what I have written. We will see how that goes.

It had been one week since that fateful day Betty told Archie and Jughead that she wouldn't be around for the summer. Both of them had dealt with the news in solitude, but the time had come to say farewell to Betty Cooper, at least for the time being.

Jughead had shown up at the door of the Cooper house at 7:25 am. Normally a sleep til noon guy during the summer months, he didn't want to miss the chance to say goodbye to Betty. They had talked over the last couple days of how excited she was to go to LA, how much she was looking forward to meeting famous authors, and the more she talked about it, the more Jughead realized he was less jealous of Betty meeting the authors and more jealous of not being around her all summer. However, unlike Archie, Jughead knew how to keep his feelings in check. Jughead knew Betty really wanted to do this and he wasn't going to let anyone take that happy feeling away from her.

Betty walked out the door a few seconds after he arrived, looking tired and overwhelmed.

"Hey Juggie." Betty said, jumping back sounding confused "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you off. Don't worry, I won't stay too long." Jughead said, knowing that she and Archie would be saying goodbye in a few minutes.

"What?" Betty asked, not keeping up at this early hour of the morning.

"Never mind." Jughead said, "I have something for you. Kind of a congratulations slash good luck gift."

Jughead pulled a weathered looking book out of his backpack.

"The Mayor of Casterbridge?" Betty read off the title as she wiped at her eyes, and then realized its significance "This is your favorite book. I can't take this."

She started to hand to book back to him, but Jughead did not reach out for it.

"Well it is not for you to keep. It is for you to borrow. In case while you are in LA, sneaking into clubs and rubbing elbows with literary geniuses you start to feel lonely. You can take this book out of your purse and think of your old pal Jughead." Jughead told her.

"Ok." Betty said, putting the book in her purse. "Thank you for the book."

Things were quiet for a moment, Jughead's gesture coming off more maudlin than he had intended it to be.

"No problem." Jughead replied "Besides, I have been begging you to read this book for years."

Betty smiled at him.

"And I told you, I will read this when you read my favorite book." Betty argued, pointing at his book.

"And I told  _ you,  _ Confessions of a Shopaholic is not my speed." Jughead joked, loving to tease her about her literary tastes.

"And you know that is not my favorite book. My favorite book is..." Betty started, sounding annoyed.

"The Bluest Eye." Jughead finished. "I will give it a chance."

Betty looked amazed then smiled.

"I'm gonna miss you Juggie." She said, wrapping her arms around Jughead to hug him.

Jughead was taken aback. He knows they have hugged in the past, but not in the recent past. Not since they have gotten older and hugs seemed to be reserved for special people and special occasions. Jughead hesitated, but then he wrapped his arms around her too. It has been a long time since he has been hugged by anyone; he forgot how comforting it could be.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Betts." He said, pulling away from the hug. "Send me a message every once in awhile, so I can know how jealous I should be of you."

"I will." She said, smiling at him.

Just then, Archie Andrews stumbles out of his house, looking half awake, but on his way over to say goodbye to Betty

"Hey Jughead, what are you doing here?" Archie asked, sounding confused.

"Just saying goodbye. And now that I have done so, I am going back to bed." Jughead said, grabbing a strap of the backpack on his shoulder and waving with the other hand.

"Catch you later at Pop's, right?" Jughead asked of Archie.

"Yeah, I will be there after my shift." Archie replied, glancing over at Betty as he did so.

"Ok. Bye" Jughead says, walking away.

Jughead walked away quickly, trying desperately not to hear what they were saying.

As he walked away, Jughead wondered how long Betty could keep her feelings hidden from Archie. He thought maybe she would tell him before she left. Say it, give him a few months to think on it, then return to the answer she was hoping for. Seems like a smart way to do it, if one is going to confess their love to another person. Betty had been in love with his best friend for several years now. Things had to come to a head at some point. Maybe this, her leaving for the summer, was enough of a catalyst to convince her to confess her feelings.

Jughead couldn't help himself; he turns around to see Betty and Archie hugging. Betty appeared to have tears in her eyes and Archie smiling because he wants Betty to be happy.

_ She hasn't told him.  _ Jughead concluded. If she had told him, there would be a lot more confusion on Archie's face than there currently was.

Betty got into the car, waving one last goodbye to Archie. Her mother and sister were already in the car waiting for her. Once in the car, she looked out the back window to see Jughead still standing there. She gave him one last wave too as her mother droves away.

Archie looks over in his direction, apparently not aware that Jughead had only made it about 30 feet away before stopping. Jughead shakes his head, turns around and heads back to the Twilight Drive-In to get some sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Three weeks have gone by since Betty Cooper left Riverdale for the literary scene in LA and to say that her absence has been felt would be an understatement. It seems as though none of her friends know how to be friends with each other in her absence.

Archie has been spending 10 hours a day, 5 days a week working construction. The two days he has off usually consist of him passing out and Skyping with Betty.

Kevin's internship at the Sheriff's office goes without a hitch. Being the Sheriff's son, he is already well known around the department and is given more responsibility than the average intern, working just as much, if not more than Archie.

As for Jughead, he was still seeking inspiration. The novel he was working on was a complete bust. Novelists tend to draw inspiration from their own life experiences, but they are usually able to put a positive twist on terrible situations. Jughead has not quite reached the point of being emotionally past his experiences in order to feel comfortable writing about them. If only something interesting would happen in this town that didn't involve Jughead and his desperate attempt to find somewhere else to live because he just couldn't live with his father anymore.

Jughead was sitting in Pop's, waiting for Archie to show up to discuss their road trip plans. Jughead was hoping seeing some new towns and maybe stopping to see Betty would make him feel more inspired. He was also hoping the road trip could help him forget how terrible things were at home, if for only a few days.

Wanting to make sure he was easy to get a hold of, Jughead had his phone and his laptop out with all of this social media pages open.

Jughead took a sip of coffee, but then heard a ding on one of his social media pages. It wasn't Archie though, it was Betty.

**Betty: Hey Juggie, how are you?**

**Jughead: I am ok. How are you?**

**Betty: I am great. I haven't heard from you in a few days, is everything alright?**

**Jughead: Sure Betty. I have just been busy with work and not writing. How's LA?**

**Betty: Amazing. You won't believe how beautiful it is in LA. And everyone is super nice. And I have met some of the nicest people.**

**Jughead: Sounds like you fitting right in. Meet anyone famous yet?**

Their conversation went on for about an hour before Jughead realized how long they had been talking and Archie had still not shown up.

He decided to call him.

The phone ran four times before Archie finally answered.

"Hey Jug, what's up?" Archie asked, sounding as though he were out of breath

"What's up? You were supposed to meet me at Pop's about two hours ago to discuss our road trip" Jughead said, trying not to sound angry, but not succeeding

"I was? Right. Sorry man, it was a long day at work and I just came home and crashed." Archie said

"Ok. Not the greatest excuse, but understandable. I am still here if you want to come on over. The trip is in two weeks, so we really need to fine tune the trip schedule." Jughead explained

"Uh, can we do it tomorrow." Archie asked "I am so beat"

"I guess." Jughead said, annoyed. "Tomorrow, 6 p.m. at Pop's?"

"Yeah. I will see you then" Archie responded then hung up the phone

Jughead was annoyed, but figured it was just due to having spent an entire night sitting in one spot, waiting for Archie.

***

The next day came and Jughead was stood up by his best friend again. He called him and received the same excuse he had received on the previous day. They made plans for the next day, a Saturday, a day that Archie did not work. But he bailed on Jughead once again; Jughead didn't bother to call to reschedule this time.

_ I will just plan this whole thing myself.  _ Jughead thought to himself  _ I am gonna have to find some really awful boring things to make him go to. I wonder if I could find a place that didn't allow girls, that would be some real torture for ol' Archie. _

On Sunday, Jughead was sitting in Pop's diner when his phone started making a sound he had never heard before. It was Skype. He didn't even know his phone had Skype and Betty was trying to Skype with him.

He answered.

"Hey Betty. Did you hit the wrong person?" Jughead asked

"No. I meant to talk to you. How are you?" Betty said, flipping her ponytail back and looking annoyed that he thought she didn't want to talk to him.

"Tired. I feel like I have spent the past five days of my life waiting for something that is not going to happen." Jughead told her honestly.

"Oh no. What happened?"

"Just what I said. I have been waiting around to no avail. How are you?"

"I'm ok." She said, but in a way that Jughead knew she wasn't telling the truth

"You might be in LA, but I can still hear when you are hiding something." Jughead told her, trying very hard not to smile through his sarcasm. 

She bit her lip, but then she caved.

"Do you know where Archie is? He missed our Skype da…conversation."

"Oh." Jughead replied. Suddenly this was all making sense. She wasn't interesting in hearing about him. She just wanted to know where Archie was.

"I don't know." He told her honestly. "I haven't seen him in days."

"Do you think something happened to him?" Betty said, sounding worried

"No." Jughead answered. "I have spoken to him. He is alive, just  _ busy _ ."

Betty looked confused.

"Busy?" she asked

"I don't know. He has blown me off the last few time we were supposed to hang out. And it is not like we have been hanging out much with our work schedules anyway." Jughead said, realizing how fed up he really was with his best friend.

"Well don't worry. I will find a way to get a hold him and send him your way." Betty said with a determined look in her eye

"Don't bother. He will get ahold of me when he gets ahold of me. He knows my number. Unless what he is suffering from is a case of missing phone." Jughead joked

Betty laughed. It wasn't quite the laugh that she has with Archie, but it still has the ability to make him smile back at her.

"Ok then. I will talk to you soon. If nothing else, you have to call me and tell me all about your road trip!"

"Assuming you have time for a conversation with an old friend after another fascinating day in LA" Jughead teased. "Talk to you later."

Betty smiled as she ended the conversation.

Jughead smiled once more before he opened his laptop and got back to work planning their road trip


	4. Chapter 4

The day had finally come. It was Thursday, the day before Archie and Jughead were supposed to go on their road trip. Jughead had packed and was ready to leave Riverdale, but he still hadn't heard from Archie.

Jughead had refused to call Archie, assuming Archie would figure out that Jughead was mad at him and it would bring him to his senses. But Jughead had not such luck. It was the day before their trip and Jughead didn't know what was going on. He had made plans for the trip, but he still needed to be able to know when they were leaving and if Archie was even allowed to go because he didn't even know that right now. He decided to go over to Archie's place and deal with him face to face.

Jughead made his way over to the Andrews house, glancing over at the Coopers on his way by. Jughead couldn't help the empty feeling he got when he walked by that house. The house's lack of Betty really made it seem incomplete. I guess this is the way they were all feeling right about now. They all felt her absence and retreated into separate corners to deal with it, but the time had come for at least Archie and Jughead to see each other face to face.

Jughead knocked on the door and Archie's dad, Fred, answered the door.

"Hey, Jug. How have you been?" Fred asked. "You wanna come in?"

"No thank you, Mr. Andrews. Is Archie around?" Jughead asked, already knowing the answer. Archie always answered the door when he was home.

"Actually no he isn't. I swear he has barely been around these last few weeks. I guess this all part of the road trip planning." Fred mentioned

"Huh?" Jughead asked, in spite of himself

"The road trip. Are you ready to be on the open road in less than twelve hours?"

"Archie's allowed to go then?" Jughead questioned, his last hope that his best friend wasn't just blowing him off for no reason.

"Yeah. He cleared it with me a couple weeks ago." Fred replied. "I bet you are so excited to be driving. Archie said you are taking your dad's car so you won't be needing bus fare."

_So Archie had been talking to his dad about the road trip, but not him._ Jughead thought to himself. _And lying about it. My dad didn't have a car, and even if he did, it probably wouldn't make it out of Riverdale, much less anywhere else._

"Right." Jughead replied "Listen, I have to go, I left my phone at work"

"Alright. See you later. And if I don't see you before you head out tomorrow, have fun."

Jughead faked a smile "Thanks Mr. Andrews"

Jughead turned around and walked down the stairs from the porch onto the street. He wasn't sure why he didn't tell Archie's dad the truth, that he honestly had no idea where Archie stood about the road trip, or really anything at this point. Jughead had lost trust in his best friend and he wasn't sure if he could ever forgive Archie for this.

Just as he had past the Cooper house, Jughead got a text message.

_Sorry. I know this is last minute but my dad didn't approve my vacation time. I can't go on the trip. Maybe we can try to reschedule right before school starts – Archie_

And in that moment Jughead realized his best friend was gone.

Jughead had made his way back to Pop's and decided to start disposing of any evidence that the road trip was happening. He deleted maps off his phone, threw away guide books, even got refunds from the few places he decided to prebook in advance.

He was about to put his phone away, thinking he wouldn't be using it any time soon anyway, when he realized Betty was trying to Skype with him.

Jughead wasn't sure why but he didn't want to ignore her call.

"Hey Juggie." Betty answered, all smiles. She was clearly hanging out on a beach somewhere.

"Hey Betty." Jughead said, not able to keep the hurt out of his voice.

"What's wrong?" Betty asked, suddenly concerned.

"Nothing important." Jughead tried to tell her. "What's up?"

Betty glared at him, freezing his insides.

"Ok, you're avoiding the question. Whatever it is sounds serious." Betty replied.

He couldn't lie to her. For the entirety of their friendship she has always been able to get him to say more than anyone else. Even Archie.

"Betty, the road trip is cancelled." Jughead told her with a sigh.

Betty's smile immediately faded. She now wore a look of concern.

"Oh Juggie. I am so sorry. I know how much you were looking forward to it" Betty said

"I was. I was really looking forward to a road trip with my best friend. But I guess that isn't going to happen." Jughead said, realizing how sad he actually was. Not just about the road trip, but about the loss of this friendship.

"Maybe you guys could do it when I get back. I don't honestly think they will keep me on for the extended time or maybe I will just leave early anyway. It seems like things are falling apart there without me." Betty replied, sounding serious.

She wasn't kidding. Jughead had reassured Archie that everything would be fine without Betty. But she had only been gone a few weeks and it just seemed like Jughead's world was damaged beyond repair.

But Jughead knew Betty returning would not change anything. Archie would still be avoiding him and Betty would have to deal with whatever Archie's current damage was too. Jughead didn't want that for her. He didn't want her to give up on this thing that was clearly making her happy.

"Stay. Your internship is a once in a lifetime thing. We can manage without you a while longer" Jughead told her as a way to mollify her

She didn't look convinced, but she smiled anyway.

"Ok." She nodded. "You're always looking out for me Jug."

"And I always will." he told her without thinking "Hey listen, I have to go. A lot of things to cancel."

"Ok. Call me later?" Betty suggested

"Sure. Goodbye Betty." Jughead said, ending the conversation.

He closed the app then deleted it off his phone. He also deactivated his social media pages and deleted everyone's contact information. Well almost everyone's contact information. The name "Betty Cooper" would be pretty lonely in his phone, but at least there is someone.

Once all of that was said and done, Jughead took his backpack home, filled it with all his important belongings and left his father's house for good this time, deciding to make the Twilight Drive-In his new home until he could figure something else out.

Not long after Jughead's departure from his father's house, the story of the drowning and missing body of Jason Blossom came into light. Jughead then threw himself into researching this guy's death. He was fascinated by the dead golden boy and he was inspired by it to write his very own mystery novel because of it. One that he hoped with a little detective work, could have a satisfying ending. Something in his life needed a satisfying ending.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place the day Betty returns from her summer internship in 1x01
> 
> August 13th, if you go by the Riverdale One-Shot quasi-canon date

Betty had just spent the last few hours on a plane home, thrilled far more than she could verbally express. It had been a long, amazing summer which left her feeling like a brand new person. A brand new person who was finally ready to go after what she wanted. And what she wanted was to be in a relationship with her best friend Archie. This car ride and 4 hours were all that stood between her and what she had always wanted.

Her dad pulled into the driveway and she noticed Kevin Keller, one of her dearest friends, sitting on her doorstep.

"Betty!" he shouted as he walked over to the passenger's side and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey Kev, how have you been since I last talked to you...yesterday." Betty smiled, letting go

"Oh you know, just anxiously awaiting your arrival. After what you told me…"

Betty quickly covered his mouth, not wanting her dad to hear about her plans.

"I need foundation. You feeling up to a trip to the store?" Betty said, trying to signal to Kevin that he should agree.

"Uh….yes. I think that is a good idea." Kevin said, linking his arm with hers and beginning to walk away.

"I'll be right back, Dad." Betty assured her father

"Ok. Just to the store and back though." she heard her father say from behind her.

Kevin and Betty made sure they were a decent amount of space from her house before they started talking again.

"So, you are still planning to tell him?" Kevin said

"Yes. I am tired of waiting for things to happen for me. I am going to be charge of my own destiny."

"And you are sure it is Archie? I mean, didn't you have that fling with a guy in LA?" Kevin asked

"Yes. I had a fling in LA. But having that fling just made me more sure of my feelings. I am tired of hiding them. I am ready to go after what I want." Betty said confidently.

"About damn time." Kevin smiled. "And we are gonna make sure you look amazing for tonight. What time is he meeting you at Pop's?"

"Seven."

"Seven? God, that not enough time to do anything!" Kevin quickly panicked.

Betty smiled. "I will be fine, Kev. I just need to pick up some foundation. And lip gloss. And mascara. More or less, I need to replace all of my makeup."

"So you actually needed to go the store? It wasn't just an excuse to talk about this away from your parents?" Kevin questioned

"Nope. Definitely need to go to the store." she smiled, noting that had already made it to the store.

Kevin and Betty had just walked into the room, when they bumped into Kevin's dad.

"Hi Sheriff Keller." Betty said

"Hello Betty. How was your summer?" Sheriff Keller asked, relaxing his stance a bit

"It was great. I learned a lot." Betty replied, knowing that the Sheriff wouldn't care about her journey of self-discovery.

"Good. You probably learned more than Kevin over here." he said, giving his son a hard time.

"Oh, I learned Dad. I learned I never want to be police officer." Kevin added.

Betty smiled. Kevin didn't need an internship to tell him that.

"One police officer in this family is enough." Sheriff Keller stated, patting his son on the shoulder.

"Listen, Betty, I was so sorry to hear about your sister…"

Betty's face fell instantly. She wasn't around when her sister had her breakdown. She didn't even know what had happened; just that her sister broke down and her parents weren't saying what happened.

"Thanks Sheriff Keller." Betty stated, not able to hide the tremble in her voice.

Kevin quickly glanced at Betty and jumped in between her and his dad.

"Hey, so Dad, I was thinking of going blonde." Kevin said, distracting his father so Betty could make a quick escape.

Betty darted away from the Kellers and went straight for the makeup aisle.

She grabbed her favorite makeup supplies and was about to go to the checkout counter when she remembered. 'Razors, I definitely need razors.'

Betty made it to the shaving aisle and just as she was grabbing the razors she saw an old friend.

"Jughead!" Betty exclaimed, walking over to give him a hug.

He stepped back, looking surprised to see her. Betty noted his defensive stance and refrained from moving closer.

"Betty. Hi." he said, awkwardly.

"Hey." she responded less enthusiastically this time, unsure why the shift in mood. "How was the rest of your summer? I haven't heard from you since the beginning of July."

"Good." he replied, grabbing some razors from behind her and starting to walk away.

Betty started to feel hurt. Was Jughead mad at her? What could she have done to make him mad?

"Was it?" she questioned

Jughead sighed and turned around to face her.

"No. But things finally got interesting around here." Jughead told her, crossing his arms and appearing to make himself smaller. "Mysterious disappearances, conspiracy...every aspiring novelist's dream."

"I guess that's true. Jason Blossom drowned a couple months now, that does make quite the novel." Betty conceded. "Still can't believe they never found his body."

Jughead smiled, relaxing his stance a bit. "How was the rest of your summer?"

"It was really interesting." she replied, feeling a bit more comfortable now "You won't believe how fascinating the book publishing industry can be."

"Really?" Jughead asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah. And you won't believe who I met." Betty said, starting to feel like she was talking to a friend again.

"Oh yeah?" Jughead replied, apparently feeling the same way.

Betty was about to reply when Kevin ran into the aisle.

"Betty, we have to go stat! I did too good of a job convincing my dad I want to be blonde and now he won't stop talking about it." Kevin said, grabbing her hand. "Hi Jughead!" he said trying to pull Betty out of the aisle.

"Can we catch up later?" Betty asked, grabbing the end of the aisle before Kevin could completely drag her out of it.

Jughead looked surprised. "Yeah, sure. See you later."

He didn't sound convinced by his own words.

"Ok, bye Juggie." Betty said, waving as Kevin dragged her through the checkout aisle.

"You might want to rethink the plans you made with Jughead." Kevin told her as he helped her put her purchases on the counter.

"Why? Just because I hope to be dating Archie, it doesn't mean I am going to abandon my friends. His best friend too, I might add." Betty argued. She was not going to be one of those people that became consumed by a romantic relationship. She intended to be the best girlfriend and the best friend she could possibly be.

"That is just the thing. They are not best friends anymore." Kevin told her.

"What?" Betty asked, shocked. She had nearly dropped the bottle of foundation on the floor.

"Yeah, I don't really know what happened. They just stopped hanging out and haven't said a word to each other since mid summer." Kevin said, his voice giddy with the joy of fresh gossip.

"So that's why Jughead disappeared off social media mid summer." Betty replied. How could Archie and Jughead stop being friends? What could have possibly come between them?

"Yeah seriously. Neither of them are talking though. Both pretending nothing is different." Kevin continued, the grin never leaving his face.

"How do you know all this?" Betty asked, paying the cashier and grabbing her items.

"I invited them both to dinner one night around the 15th. Jughead showed up, ate a burger, told me he was writing a novel, and as soon as Archie walked into the room, mumbled an excuse and left the restaurant." Kevin whispered, as though he were worried that somewhere would overhear his story.

"Wow." Betty replied. "I am definitely going to have to ask Archie about that."

"Are you sure you want to steer the night in that direction? 'Hey, why did you break up with Jughead' is not exactly the stuff of great romance" Kevin pointed out, grabbing Betty's bag from her.

Betty smiled. "You are probably right. I am going to ask him though."

"Of course, but not tonight." Kevin teased. "Tonight, you are gonna woo that ginger into an epic romance."

Betty giggled as she and Kevin walked back to her house.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x02: When Betty runs away from the lunch table in tears and Archie is unable to chase after her

Jughead was already tired of eating lunch alone. It had only been three days since they returned to school and he had run out of places where he could eat his lunch without neanderthals like Reggie threatening to kick his ass just for breathing the same air. The staircase he was currently occupying had so far been undisturbed, but the guys on the football team were always looking for a fight. At least when he was with his friends, his former friends, they left him alone.

Jughead didn't want to admit it, but he was really missing his lunch table. Archie yammering on about football, Betty and Kevin discussing student council or the latest season of the Voice. Last year felt like a different life compared to now. He and Archie had spoken since July 4th, but asking about Betty and accusing someone of knowing about a murder didn't exactly imply reconciliation was on the horizon. It was looking less like Jughead could rejoin the lunch table anytime soon, his seat was now taken by the new girl Veronica Lodge. Jughead hadn't spoken to her, but he doubted they would get along. People like her rarely even gave people like him a second glance.

He heard the door behind the stairs slam open and he jumped up to his feet. Jughead was ready to face the roaming group of douchebag athletes when he realized it wasn't Reggie or Chuck or any of those other guys.

It was Betty. A distressed looking Betty, her eyes filled with tears.

"Betty?" Jughead questioned, dropping his defenses and jumping over to her "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing Jughead. I'm fine." she said, her voice broken from crying. She didn't look in his direction at all as she tried to walk past the staircase and down the hall.

"You are clearly not fine." he said, running to cut her off. "What's going on?"

Betty took a deep breath.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Betty asked, wiping her tears away briskly and looking him in the eye.

Jughead nodded.

"I'm sure you have heard about me and Archie."

Not heard per se, but Archie frantically looking for her the night of the dance told him all he needed to know. Betty had finally told Archie how she felt about him. Judging by the crying, Jughead guessed that Archie had rejected the sobbing blonde.

"I haven't. But I can guess. I am sorry, Betty." Jughead told her honestly.

"Why?" Betty said, walking back over to the staircase.

_ Why was I sorry? Because my former best friend hurt you, Betty. That's why!  _ Jughead was screaming in his head. But he remained silent, walking back over to the staircase with her.

"It's not as if anyone with half a brain didn't see this coming." Betty said as she sat on the stars and began to cry again.

"Don't say that." Jughead said, sitting on the step below her facing the hallway, not able to face her for some reason. He couldn't stand watching Betty cry over Archie.

"Why not? I made an idiot of myself. Twice. First, I told him I loved him and he rejected me. Then, I tell him I am ok with just being friends when I am not. How is that not stupid?"

Betty's tears were falling full force now. Her voice was heavy with grief.

Jughead could feel his heart breaking for her. He wanted to do something to make her feel better. Literally anything to stop her from feeling this way.

"It's not stupid." he tried to reassure her "It's ill advised definitely…"

She chuckled through her tears.

"Ill advised. Yeah, that makes sense."

She sighed. Jughead could tell she was starting to feel better.

"Listen, maybe you weren't lying to him when you said you were ok being friends." Jughead continued, now determined to make things better for her. "Maybe you're just not ok right now. Give it time."

"You're one to talk." Betty said, wiping her tears away, trying to stop crying "You are furious at Archie for some reason that neither of you are willing to divulge."

"No one has actually asked me." Jughead admitted in spite of himself.

Betty gulped. "I'm asking now."

Jughead didn't know why, but he really wanted to tell Betty what happened. Maybe it was because he had held it in for so long or maybe it is just knowing that Betty wouldn't judge him for writing Archie off, but in that moment he decided to tell her.

"He ignored me all summer Betts. I was going through some stuff and I really needed to talk to my best friend but he spent the entire summer ignoring me." Jughead admitted.

"He wasn't exactly calling me everyday." Betty said, trying to make him feel better.

"But he was calling you. It wasn't always you calling him. It wasn't him cancelling all of your plans last minute. It wasn't you who had to hear from your best friend's dad that he was lying to you." Jughead said, stopping before things got too intense for a school hallway.

Jughead hadn't said anything to anyone about this. It felt good to finally be able to vocalize how hard losing his best friend was for him.

"I'm sorry Juggie." Betty said, sympathetically patting him on the shoulder.

The last time she had patted him on the shoulder, it had felt patronizing. This time, he took it as a comforting gesture.

"You understand what I mean, though." Betty continued "You guys haven't spoken in months and you have reached the point where nothing can fix what's broken between the two of you."

"Who says nothing can fix it?" Jughead said, looking at her for the first time.

Betty looked surprised. She wasn't expecting him to look back at her.

"So you are saying there is hope?" Betty asked, wiping the last of her tears away.

The bell signaling the end of lunch rang. Jughead stood up, offering Betty a hand up. She took it and they stood together.

"I wouldn't say hope. A chance, perhaps." Jughead told her, turning his back to walk away. Jughead thought there was a chance for them at least. If Archie would only be honest about why he was blowing him off.

Betty nodded and started to walk in the direction of her next class.

"He's an idiot by the way. Archie." Jughead started, turning his head towards her "Who says no to a girl like you?"

Betty smiled at Jughead's back as he walked away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x02: Post Reggie Archie fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I forgot to upload yesterday. I hope you enjoy today's chapter!

It's not every day you watch your best friend/the boy who rejected you stand between one of his buddies on the football team and the guy he used to refer to as his best friend.

Betty has just witnessed Reggie, a guy who even Betty couldn't think of a nice thing to say about him, try to attack Jughead, one of her oldest friends. But Archie stood in the way and took the beating. Betty, despite herself, couldn't stop thinking about how brave Archie was for doing that. And Betty also couldn't stop herself from worrying about him.

She rushed to the nurse's after none of them showed up in class following the fight.

"Mrs. Leonard, is Archie still here?" Betty asked the nurse receptionist

"I'm afraid he already left dear." the receptionist replied.

"That's ok." Betty replied. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting to happen when she showed up, but she found herself almost relieved that Archie was already gone.

She was just about to leave when it also occurred to her. "What about Jughead?"

"Jughead?" the receptionist questioned, not looking up from her desk.

"Forsythe." Betty told her, forgetting that Jughead wasn't his official name. Had he ever gone by anything else? "Forsythe Jones, how is he?"

"He is fine." Betty heard a voice from behind one of the doors say. "Just wounded pride."

Betty smiled and walked over to the door.

"Can I come in?" she asked, not wanting to interrupt him

"Sure." he replied quickly.

Betty opened the door to find Jughead sitting on the bed, wincing and clutching his stomach.

The smile quickly faded from her face. "I thought you said just your pride was wounded?"

"Who knew that I kept my pride in my stomach?" Jughead joked.

Betty smiled at him

"Well you keep everything else there." Betty joked back.

Jughead laughed, then winced again.

Betty walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Despite what he said, Betty could tell Jughead was in a lot of pain.

"How did you get hurt? I thought Archie…." Betty started, then stopped herself

"Took the beating? Oh, he did. Moose got in one good punch as he was pulling me off Reggie. Principal Weatherbee and Coach Clayton showed up before anyone got too injured." Jughead explained, sounding very annoyed by this turn of events.

"Gosh, Jug." Betty said, touching his arm and trying hard not to be too worried about him. It is not the first time they have been in the nurse's office because Jughead had been beaten up.

She could hear Jughead sigh at her obvious concern.

"Don't worry about me, I will be alright. The nurse said I will be back to eating cheeseburgers within the hour." Jughead reassured her

Betty gave him a patronizing look.

"Is cheeseburgers your real concern right now?" she asked. He said he was fine, but Betty couldn't stop noticing how much he was grimacing.

"You have your priorities, I have mine." Jughead told her.

They waited in silence for a few moments before Betty took a deep breath, finally saying the words that had been swirling in her head the past couple minutes.

"So he still cares about you." Betty stated, not sure how to feel about that.

"So it would seem." Jughead replied, his tone agreeing with hers.

There was another moment of silence before Jughead hopped off the bed and began to leave the room.

"We should probably get going. Wouldn't want a newly minted River Vixen missing the first big pep rally." Jughead said with as much sarcasm as Betty was sure he could muster.

"So, you're coming to the pep rally?" Betty asked, hopeful that he might

Jughead scoffed. "Yeah right. I think I have enough pep. It doesn't need to be rallied."

"Oh come on, you have to come. You can see our routine. And you will get to see Archie play…" her voice wondered off. She forgot for a moment that they were both supposed to be mad at him.

Jughead smiled at her.

"I'll consider it. If I have nothing better to do. I have been meaning to clean out my backpack and those plans would definitely take precedence." Jughead informed her

Betty smiled, walking towards the lockers with Jughead. Her brain was swirling with questions to ask him.

She settled on the most obvious one.

"So, do you think this counts? Does Archie sticking up for you make up for being a crappy friend this summer?" Betty asked.

"I don't know." Jughead admitted to her. "It doesn't hurt his chances at the very least."

She felt herself nod again. She wanted to focus on Jughead but she couldn't help herself from thinking about her possible future with Archie.

"I wonder what it would take to make things better between us again." Betty wondered out loud.

Jughead sighed and stopped walking.

"I don't recommend this." he said, wincing again. "Although I really doubt you could ever tick off Mantle the Moronic enough to want to kick your ass."

Betty laughed. "You never know. I can be quite irritating. Maybe I could challenge him to spell the word 'irritating'."

Jughead smiled. "Or you know, just wait until things go back to normal on their own."

"How will I know when things are back to normal between us?" Betty asked, genuinely having no idea how that would happen.

"When you are around him and your first thought isn't how he hurt you. When that time comes, then you guys can be friends again."

Betty turned to look at him, amazement apparent on her face.

"Wow, that was actually really great advice." she remarked, impressed.

"Yeah it was. No one is more surprised than I am." Jughead admitted.

Betty smiled. "Thanks Juggie."

"Anytime Betts." Jughead said, walking away from her. "Anytime."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x03: The morning before Betty asks Jughead to write for the Blue and Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is my attempt to try both perspectives. I hope it works out because I end up using quite a bit in later chapters.

Betty stood in her bedroom, perplexed by her mother's words to her "You should come work at the Register. It could really use a Lois Lane type."

Why on earth did her mother think she would even consider working for her? Betty could barely tolerate her mother clear lack of journalistic ethics. She wanted no part of the story her mother was telling.

As Betty got ready for school, her mind raced. How could she stand by and let her mother use the murder of her sister's boyfriend as a way to deal with her own personal demons? How could she work for a place that was doing nothing to help solve Jason's murder, rather enjoying the process of making a spectacle of the Blossom family?

One of the worst parts of it was that Betty knew her mother was a good writer. Her parents were not the operators of the town newspaper out of luck. Her mother had won several prestigious awards, some even noting her journalistic integrity, but those days were long gone and Betty could not stand by and be a part of it.

But Betty did want to be a part of it. Not necessarily the Register, but she had inherited her parents love for journalism and was a pretty decent reporter if she did say so herself. Betty wanted to be out there. Following leads, investigating, getting the news and presenting it in an unbiased, professional way.

Then Betty had an idea. Riverdale High used to have a school newspaper, The Blue and Gold. Her mother was the editor of the paper her senior year of high school. They even still had a room set aside in the school for it, though it hadn't been used in about 10 years. Betty knew if she put her mind to it, she could start the paper up again and start printing real stories and helping to solve real issues.

She started thinking of where to start. Jason's murder, of course, but she was ashamed to admit that she hadn't paid much attention to the details of Jason's murder; too busy dealing with her own personal drama. She did know someone who was up to speed with the case.

***

Jughead had just gotten to school. It was much earlier than the rest of the student body would get there, but he liked having the place to himself. He enjoyed the quiet and the peace that the empty school offered. A guy couldn't hang around Pop's drinking coffee all the time.

Jughead sat himself down on one of the couches in the student rec room. Sprawled out, he opened his laptop and began typing the newest entry to his novel.

He was about a page in when a shrill ringing sound started from his backpack.

_My phone?_  Jughead questioned. He couldn't remember the last time he had used his phone as a phone. He grabbed it from the backpack and looked at the name of his only phone contact flashing across the screen.

_Why on earth is Betty Cooper calling me?_ Jughead wondered.  _And at 6:30 in the morning!_

Jughead answered "Hello?" his voice sounding far more tired than he realized he was

"Oh, sorry did I wake you?" Betty said, sounding concerned

"No, I was up." he told her honestly "What is going on Betty?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Ok…?" Jughead said, drawing out the letters "Isn't that what we are doing right now?"

"Not over the phone. In person." Betty said, sounding irritated, as though it was obvious that she meant in person.

"Ok…?" Jughead said once again. "When?"

"Do you have any lunch plans?" Betty asked, sincerely

"No." Jughead said, with a not so concealed scoff.

"Ok great!" Betty said, ignoring the scoff. "12:35, Blue and Gold offices."

"Blue and Gold offices?" Jughead questioned. "The school newspaper? Why would you want to meet there?"

"I'll explain when I see you, ok?" she said, sounding as though she was picking up her own backpack.

"Ok. See you later." Jughead said.

"Bye." Betty said, hanging up the phone

Jughead stared at his phone for a minute. What could Betty possibly want from him? What could it be that it required face to face interaction with him, the social pariah of Riverdale?

***

The next 6 hours flew by in a haze. Jughead contemplating what Betty could want from him and Betty working to figure out more about the details surrounding the 4th of July disappearance of Jason Blossom.

Neither one of them could focus in class. This was not unusual for Jughead, he usually ended reading instead of paying attention. Betty on the other hand was a very attentive student for the most part, but she had found herself scouring her mother's newspaper articles for pieces of information she could use in her own investigation.

Finally, the time had come. Betty had explained to her friends that she had some work to do before their next class and went over to the classroom that was the office of the Blue and Gold Newspaper.

The place was covered in dust. About six archaic computers and a typewriter sat forgotten until this moment. Betty was about to begin straightening the place up, when she heard a voice from the doorway.

"If print journalism is dead, what am I doing here?" Jughead's skeptical voiced mused from said doorway, half covered in shadows.

Betty smiled. He had actually shown up. Not sure why she was surprised by that fact, Jughead had always been there for her. But she really wanted him there. She needed his help.

"The Blue and Gold isn't dead, Juggie. It's just dormant. But it's waking up!" Betty told him, feeling nervous that he would refuse her offer because it wasn't appealing enough.

"You are writing a novel, right?" she asked. She hated that she had to ask. She and Jughead hadn't spent enough time together for him to tell her himself.

"I am." he told her, surprised that she knew he was writing the novel. "Riverdale's very own In Cold Blood."

"Which started out as a series of articles." Betty informed him, hoping this knowledge would help her cause "I am hoping you will come write for the Blue and Gold"

Jughead winced. Betty seriously wanted him to be part of the school newspaper? Jughead Jones, the outsider weirdo writing articles and expecting the rest of the student body to take interest. Jughead couldn't help but wonder why she was coming to him with this. Why not Kevin? He was a decent writer. The new girl Veronica spat out literary references, she could probably string a few sentences together about the girls' Lacrosse team.

Why was Betty approaching him?

"I just don't think the school newspaper is the right fit for my voice." Jughead decided to say out loud, rather than express his full thought process.

Betty then sighed. This was going to be tough. She decided to be honest with him about why she wanted to do this.

"Juggie." Betty started. "Jason's death changed Riverdale. People don't want to admit that, but it is true. We all feel it."

Jughead knew this was true. He personally couldn't stand Jason, but even he realized that the world around him had changed. A lot of his novel was based on those changes.

"Nothing this bad was ever supposed to happen here, but it did. I want to know why." Betty finished, hoping this was enough to convince him.

Little did she know how little convincing Jughead needed. He knew it was over from the moment she said Juggie.

"Would I get complete freedom?" he asked, trying to at least pretend he wasn't instantly caving, though he couldn't quite explain to himself why he was caving in the first place. Yes, In Cold Blood was written originally as newspaper articles, but not for a high school newspaper and he highly doubted Capote had to worry about the jocks kicking his ass for just telling the truth.

"I'll help. I'll edit, I'll suggest, but it's your story. It's your voice." Betty explained, wanting to be honest about what working on the newspaper would mean for him, just hoping it wouldn't be a deterring factor.

"It doesn't sound like complete freedom, but I'm in." he told her

Betty was thrilled. She could barely stop herself from wrapping her arms around him in gratitude, but this was business and they were now business partners. She clasped her own hands together and smiled.

Jughead hated himself, but he really enjoyed being the reason he was beaming. He couldn't stop himself from smiling back at her, even if it was only briefly.

"Ok great! In that case, I have your first assignment…"


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x03: Post Betty and Veronica creepy hot tub interrogation

Jughead was working late in the Blue and Gold offices. It had been a few hours since the Taste of Riverdale and while he didn't have Dilton Doiley's statement yet, he was preparing his latest entry in his novel to revolve around the gunshot that he fired on July 4th.

The room had been completely silent, except for his typing when Betty quickly ran into the room,clutching her bag and shut the door behind her.

They both jumped at the sight of each other.

"I'm sorry." Betty said, sounding on the verge of tears, staring at the door and not looking at him "I didn't realize you would be here."

"Yeah, working on my book…are you ok?" He asked, getting up from what was her desk and walking towards her.

Betty nodded, but she couldn't even nod convincingly, still avoiding his gaze.

"What's going on Bets?" Jughead asked her, his tone serious, stopping a few feet in front of her.

Betty choked, but finally turned around and looked Jughead in the eye.

Her eyes were filled with tears and Jughead felt himself breaking inside, desperate to make her feel better.

"I got Chuck to confess about lying about his date with Veronica." she said, her voice deflated.

"Well that is good news, isn't it?" Jughead asked, wondering if that were true.

Then he took in her appearance. Betty didn't look like herself at all. She was wearing a clearly borrowed oversized shirt that left a lot of leg showing, her makeup overdone and dark, her hair unkempt.

_Why would she look like that?_ Jughead thought to himself. But then the answer came to him.

"What did you have to do to get the confession?" He asked her.

Betty looked at him surprised. She clearly didn't think he would figure it out so quickly.

"Veronica and I pretended we wanted to hook up with him at Ethel's house." Betty said embarrassedly

There was silence in the room for a minute.

"So you seduced him into confessing?" Jughead asked.

Not an investigative method he would have gone with personally, but he wasn't nearly as attractive as Betty. And Chuck had to be one of the dumbest guys to walk this earth to think the two of them would want to hook up with him. Then again, if Jughead were in the same position…

No, he would not let himself think about that right now. This is clearly bothering her. She need him focused on her, not her journalistic methods.

"Not exactly." Betty admitted, looking ashamed.

She then burst into tears and Jughead found himself pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. Jughead could hardly believe his own actions. He wasn't much of a hugger in the first place, but he wanted to make Betty feel better and this seemed to be the best way.

"Betts. You don't have to tell me." He said, rubbing her shoulder

"How could I have..." Betty started, but stopped herself

"I am sure whatever you did, he deserved it." Jughead told her honestly.

Rather than cheering her up, this caused more tears.

_Nice work, Jones. Hard to believe you don't have more friends._  Jughead harshly thought to himself.

"I am sure you did what was necessary." Jughead corrected.

Betty's tears seemed to lessen.

"I am not sure it was necessary." Betty voice thick with sadness.

"Maybe not necessary." Jughead admitted, pulling back from the hug to look her full on in the face.

"The truth won out in the end and that was because of you."

Betty had stopped crying at this point and nodded.

Jughead let go of her quickly, but didn't immediately move away.

Jughead was way less concerned for Chuck Clayton and a lot more concerned for Betty, who was clearly a wreck over what she had done to him

"Are you going to be ok?" Jughead asked her, his head tilting to make sure the tears were actually ending.

"I don't know." Betty answered honestly. "I didn't mean to go that dark. I was just trying to get answers. But I went too far. I know that. But it is all I can think about now."

Betty collapsed onto the one of the desks in the room, and put her head in her hands.

Jughead grabbed the tissues from Betty's desk and sat on the desk next to her.

"Hey. Everyone goes dark sometimes." Jughead told her, handing her a tissue. "It doesn't mean we are bad people."

Betty nodded, grabbing the tissues from Jughead. She wiped away the tears from her eyes and the red lipstick from her lips.

"But how do you live with it? When you go that dark?" Betty questioned.

Jughead took a deep breath. He had a lot of experience dealing with people who had gone to the dark side. They never asked him, but he always knew what he thought they should do when they once again disappointed him.

"You admit that you did. You acknowledge it wasn't the best decision. But you accept it. Make your apologies and move on." Jughead told her

Betty half smiled. "And that's enough?"

"It's a start." he explained.

Betty nodded again, her tears seeming to actually be done this time.

"Thanks Juggie."

"No problem." Jughead returned her half smile at last.

They sat there for a few moments.

"I need to start on this article." Betty said, standing up.

Jughead stood too, not really sure why.

"Do you want some company while you work?" he asked her.

"Thanks, but I think I need to do this on my own." she answered him honestly, pulling her laptop out of her bag. "You know, my way of admitting and moving on."

He smiled as she parroted his words back to him.

"Alright. Goodnight, Betts." Jughead told her, grabbing his laptop to leave.

"Goodnight Juggie." Betty replied

Jughead walked out of the office, wondering if leaving her alone was the best decision. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x04: Betty confronts Archie about his affair with Ms. Grundy at Pop's

It had been a couple days since Dilton had walked into the Blue and Gold offices, confessing that he saw Ms. Grundy's car by Sweetwater River on the July 4th.

Betty knew that Dilton was trying to save his own skin. Firing a gun on the day that Jason went missing would point a lot of people in the direction a guy who clearly didn't have the ability to kidnap and murder Jason Blossom. Betty couldn't help but think, however, that he was telling the truth.

She had put two and two together fairly quickly. Archie claimed to be at the river alone at six in the morning on the 4th of July. But she knew Archie better than most people; he would never get out of bed at six in the morning unless there was something he stood to gain from the experience.

_And hooking up with a older woman would count as a gain for him_ Betty realized.

Despite herself, Betty could think of little else all day. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that her best friend, a guy she had confessed her love for mere days ago could possibly be hooking up with his teacher.

Betty went out to dinner with her friends at Pop's. Jughead was on the warpath. The Twilight Drive-In was closing down and he would be out of a job. Normally Betty would be sympathetic and trying to comfort Jughead, who was clearly having issues letting go, but she just couldn't stop obsessing about this. She jumped into the conversation when directly asked questions, but for the most part, she just allowed herself to obsess.

Things only got worse when Archie walked into Pop's with his father and Ms. Grundy herself.

Betty couldn't just stand back any longer. She left the booth, ignoring Jughead's pleas for her to stay and dragged Archie outside to confront.

"Ms. Grundy was at Sweetwater River on July 4th. Were you with her?" she asked him, hoping that perhaps she had escalated the situation in her mind.

"Did Jughead tell you?" Archie asked her.

"Jughead knows about this?" Betty asked him, suddenly furious.

The argument between her and Archie continued, Veronica joining in once the big secret was out in the open, but couldn't carry on too long because Betty's mother showed up to take her away from her friends.

The next day at school, she dove into trying to incriminate Ms. Grundy, motivations not being the purest in nature.

After a failed attempt at an interview with her, Betty went to the Blue and Gold offices to print off things she found on the internet.

She was in the middle of printing off an obituary of a woman named Geraldine Grundy from about 7 years ago, when Jughead walked in the room.

She couldn't be certain, but the anger she was feeling must be apparent on her face because Jughead looked scared.

"I will come back later." he said, trying to dart back out the door.

"No you will not!" Betty yelled, not realizing she was yelling until she had already done so.

It stopped Jughead in his tracks. He backed into the room and shut the door. The look on face said he was preparing himself for the worst.

"So I am guessing you know." he responded, sheepishly

"Know what?" Betty said, venom in her voice and crossing her arms "That one of my best friends is hooking up with the music teacher or that my other best friend and partner knew about it and lied to me?"

Betty could feel herself buzzing with the anger she felt. Her hands which would normally be curled into fists were laying placidly against her arms. She was not planning on holding back.

"Technically, I did not lie to you." Jughead said, with a look of guilt on his face "When Dilton told us about Ms. Grundy's car, you figured out what it meant and I didn't say anything because I already knew what it meant."

"Exactly. I didn't need to be left alone to figure it out because you knew. And you could have told me!" Betty said, hearing her voice get choked up as it does when she is angry.

"I was trying to be objective. Keep myself out of the narrative." Jughead explained, his voice becoming more frantic "Not saying to you or Archie was the most moral…."

"Don't you dare try to pretend this was a moral choice!" Betty yelled, realizing people could probably hear her in the halls, and decided to lower her voice "Archie is hooking up with a teacher and you think it was the moral choice to just stand aside and let it happen."

Betty noticed the change in Jughead. His usually stoic face now riddled with anger.

"I am not just  _letting_ it happened." Jughead yelled back, then also realized he was yelling and lowered his voice.

He stepped closer to Betty now, their discussion was far from over

"I told him that she didn't really care about him. I tried to convince him this was a bad decision. But he won't listen to me. He thinks he is in love with her."

Betty was silenced.  _He loves her? Archie was in love with Ms. Grundy._

Betty couldn't stand the idea of it. Not only was he in love with a woman at least twice his age, he was in love with someone who wasn't even close to the kind of person that Betty considered herself to be.

_No wonder he doesn't love me._ Betty couldn't stop herself from thinking.

Betty could feel her face dropping. How was she supposed to respond to this? She could see Jughead taking note of the change in her. 

"Look, I didn't know what to do." Jughead admitted to her, his tone softer than it had been moments ago. "When I found out about Archie and Grundy, we weren't even friends. He even threatened me to keep me quiet, Betts."

Betty could barely comprehend it.

"He threatened you?" Betty questioned. Was Archie that desperate to keep his secret the he would threaten his best friend? Did she even know him anymore?

Jughead wore a look of regret before starting up again.

"Yes." Jughead replied, feebly "Not that I think he intended to act on it, but we weren't friends. And since then, I have been working with you here and not spending as much time with him."

Betty felt a second wind of anger come on at these words. As close as Jughead and Archie used to be, she always thought that she and Jughead had an open and honest friendship. He should have been able to tell her anything. They had grown apart over the summer, but this past week working together, she thought that they were coming back together.

"Exactly. We have been working together, Jug. I thought we were close. I thought we were able to be honest with each other. I thought you could tell me anything!" Betty argued, her voice becoming thick in spite of herself.

"I can!" Jughead shouted back again, "You are one of the few people in this world I inherently trust."

Both Betty and Jughead seemed shocked by this level of honesty from him. She could tell that he was telling the truth, but that even he didn't realize the truth in it until he said it. But Betty pushed on, still fuming over the Grundy situation.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" she shouted.

"I told you why." Jughead shouted back.

"That's not a good enough reason!" Betty exclaimed

"Then let's just be honest, you are just yelling at me because you don't feel like you can yell at him!" Jughead shouted, then wore the look of instant regret.

Betty backed down. As sure as she was that Jughead was telling the truth moments ago, she knew that he was right this time. She didn't think she could confront Archie. Jughead was safe. Jughead wouldn't run from her if she confronted him with the truth. She then sat behind her desk and frowned.

Jughead swallowed hard. He clearly hadn't meant to strike a nerve and was regretting his words now.

"Betty, I am so sorry." Jughead told her, his voice a normal volume again.

He walked over to her desk and placed on hand on it. Reaching out has never been one of this strong suits, but Betty could see that he was trying. 

She shook her head at him. Why was she so mad at Jughead? Sure, he hid things from her, but why was anything that was happening now his fault? Jughead has always been a bit more reserved than she or Archie and it hasn't bothered her in the past. Why is it bothering her now?

Rather than dwell on that, she decides to confront what is really bothering her.

"You're right. I am yelling at you because it is safe. I am avoiding yelling at him because I am afraid to ruin our already tumultuous friendship." Betty admitted.

Jughead sighed, leaning into a sitting position on her desk.

"What do I do, Jug?" she asked him, avoiding looking him in the eyes "How do I help him realize what he is doing with Grundy is wrong without just seeming like I am acting out of jealousy?

"Don't give a damn what you seem like." Jughead told her.

This caused her to look at Jughead. She couldn't be hearing him correctly. He was telling her not to care what Archie thinks about her actions. How could she possibly do that? Archie's opinion has been so important to her for so long.

But Jughead continued his thoughts. 

"He needs us, all of us, to help him get out of this horrible relationship."

Betty smiled, relieved that she and Jughead were on the same page again.  

"You're right." she admitted

"Usually am, but it takes a strong person to admit it." he teased.

She smiled at him even though she didn't want to encourage that type of thinking from him.

"I'd love to stay for Round 3, but I got a meeting at City Hall." Jughead tells her, grabbing his laptop and walking out the office.

Betty smiled with confidence. If she really wanted to be friends with Archie, she had to take the risk of losing him to help him. If Jughead was noble enough to risk his friendship with Archie for Archie's sake, so was she.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x04: Jughead has just left the Twilight Drive In and lived through the awkward encounter with his dad.

Jughead had just left the Twilight Drive-In, the place that he had been calling home for the past few months. As much as he tried to pretend, he couldn't help this feeling of emptiness that enveloped him. He didn't have a home anymore. He lost his family not too long ago and now his home and refuge. Where was he going to go now? What was he going to do?

Before their fight, Jughead would have gone to Archie. Embarrassing as the situation was, he knew that his best friend would be there for him. But now, even though the two of them had reached a point of civility, they were not as close as they use to be. Jughead couldn't imagine having that conversation with him now.

Instead of Archie, Jughead decided to go to the school. It was Saturday so there was no one there. He could crash in the rec room for a day or two before finding something more permanent.

The thing about small towns is, everyone is so trusting. Despite the recent murder and increase in gang activity, the doors of Riverdale High were never locked.

Jughead was able to walk right into the school and into the offices of the Blue and Gold without a single issue.

He had settled at his desk.  _His Desk._ Jughead had started working at the Blue and Gold as a favor to Betty, but he had to admit he loved it. He loved having a desk, reporting, and investigating. And if he was completely honest with himself, he liked having time with Betty that was uninterrupted by his much more vocal and captivating group of friends.

As if he conjured her out of thin air, Betty walked into the office, journal and laptop in hand.

Her immediate appearance caused him to jump up, pushing his backpack containing all of his belongings under the desk out of sight.

"Jughead!" Betty exclaimed, surprise apparent on her face. "I didn't expect to run into you here."

"I feel like this how we always start conversations in this office." Jughead jested "Why don't we just assume from now on when one of us is walking into this office, the other one will either already be there or show up about ten minutes later?"

"Alright." Betty agreed, a smile coming across her face. 

"So what are you doing here?" Jughead asked, his curiosity getting the better of him

"Working on layout for the next issue of the Blue and Gold. You?"

"Same." Jughead responded, realizing that didn't really make sense.

Betty looked at him questioningly. 

"You are here to work on the layout for the latest issue?" Betty's voice expressing the skepticism he knew she must be feeling.

Jughead sighed. 

Betty put her supplies down on her desk and pulled a chair up next to Jughead's desk.

"You can talk to me about it if you want to." Betty explained

And for some reason, he did want to, at least in part. He couldn't quite explain it to himself, but he really wanted to share some of his burden with her.

"I just finished packing up the Drive-In." he began "Taking down all the movie posters, all the final things before handing the keys over to the city."

"Oh Juggie." she said, putting her hand on his shoulder "I am so sorry."

"Thanks." he said, trying to pretend his heart didn't skip a beat when she touched him. "It was a great final showing. It seems like the whole town was there. Although, that could have had more to do with the stellar movie choice."

Betty smiled. "I heard you showed Rebel Without A Cause."

"Definitely an inspired choice." Jughead told her, smiling back at her. He was still in awe of her movie selection. He still couldn't believe he hadn't considered it first. 

"Sorry I wasn't there." Betty admitted, guilt ridden. "I know I said I would stop by and see you…"

"It's fine Betts." Jughead told her, getting up out of his desk chair and moving over to the white board on the other side of the room. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

Even Jughead didn't believe that. There had been so many emotions about the closing of the drive in, that he barely registered at first how much Betty not showing up on the final night meant to him. But he did notice. And it surprised him that he noticed. 

"It was a big deal." Betty said, standing and pacing in front of his desk. "And I wanted to be there. But my mom found the gun and…"

"Wait, your mom found what gun?" Jughead said, stepping closer to her, suddenly filled with concerned.

"I guess I didn't tell you about that." Betty said, apparently surprised that she hadn't shared this with him. "So Veronica and I broke into Ms. Grundy's car…"

"Whoa!" Jughead said, holding his hands up. "Betty Cooper broke into the car of a teacher?"

"I had to know what was going on with her." Betty justified "Her story didn't make any sense. I checked up on her online and all of his personal info was from a year ago. "

Jughead nodded. It is not as though Jughead needed any actual proof of Ms. Grundy's shadiness; you don't hook up with students because you are an upstanding citizen. But he knew Betty and he knew that she would need more than just her relationship with Archie to justify not trusting her.  

"So I broke into her car and found a gun and an ID identifying Ms. Grundy as Jennifer Gibson." Betty continued. 

"Jennifer Gibson? So she stole someone's identity?" Jughead asked

"Yes. She fed Archie some story about domestic abuse and he was willing to let it slide." Betty groaned, clearly not believing the story the fake Ms. Grundy had told Archie.

"Archie does tend to believe the best in people." Jughead told her 

_Even if they don't deserve it._

"And he asked me to let it go." Betty added. "And I was actually considering it that time."

"So why are we publishing a story about the meat casserole in the cafeteria when we can be documenting the adventures of Groping with Grundy?"

"We can't." Betty explained. "I took the gun home, my mom found it and read my diary, discovered Ms. Grundy and Archie's affair and dragged me to the school, along with Mr. Andrews to confront them." 

Jughead's eyebrows raised so high he momentarily worried his beanie would fall off.

"Then what happened?" Jughead walked over to her, leaning against his desk. 

"A lot of things were thrown around. My mother only wanted to bust them so that she could keep Archie and I from being friends." Betty admitted. "Archie defended his relationship with Ms. Grundy. I threatened to say I made up their relationship if my mother tried to expose them, making it seem like I had gone crazy…like Polly."

Jughead noted her pause between the words 'crazy' and 'like Polly'.

"You were willing to feign insanity to protect Archie's relationship with Grundy?" Jughead questioned, feeling angry towards her. "And you got mad at me for just saying nothing when it came to their relationship."

"It's a completely different situation." Betty justified vehemently. "I would be lying to protect Archie. But you..."

"Were lying to protect you." Jughead said without thinking. Then realizing what he said tacked on "And Archie."

"Me?" Betty asked "Why were you protecting me?"

"Do you really want to hear this?" he asked her, not being sure he wanted to tell her his reasoning.

"I am tired of people keeping things from me and coddling me. I don't need protecting." Betty frustrated

_Yes and No._ Jughead thought.

"You need someone. It doesn't have to me, but everyone needs someone." Jughead told her.

"Even you?"

"Even me." Jughead told her, smirking in spite of himself. "But not often."

Betty looked at him thoughtfully, as though she were weighing his words in her mind. 

"So why were you protecting me?" Betty asked.

Jughead sighed and looked away from her. 

"I found out about Grundy and Archie the same day we talked in the staircase about your feelings for Archie." he explained to her. "I know I said I was trying to be objective, but I would be lying if I said your feelings weren't a factor in that decision to be indecisive."

"Juggie." Betty started, blushing "That wasn't your decision to make."

"I know and I am sorry. I didn't have the right to decide for you. Never again. I promise." Jughead explains, hoping that she isn't too angry with him.

"Ok." Betty said, moving over to her desk.

Jughead looked over at her, desperate to change the subject. 

"So what happened after your flight of insanity in the name of protecting Archie?" Jughead asked

"Ms. Grundy offered to leave town." Betty continued "My dad and I drove by her house on the way here. She is gone."

"At least something good came out last night." Jughead commented, relief flooding through him. "I wasn't sure how long I was going to be able to keep pretending the thought of Archie and Ms. Grundy together wasn't nightmare inducing."

Betty nodded.

"We all know what a great pretender Jughead Jones can be." Betty said, sarcasm rivaling Jughead's.

Jughead merely smiled and nodded. 

They sat in silence for a few moments before Betty spoke up again. 

"You never did answer the question of why you are here." Betty responded.

Jughead sighed. He had hoped that he had successfully danced around that topic.

_Leave it to Betty Cooper to keep on track._ Jughead considered, knowing he would never be able to avoid giving her answers if she really wanted them.

He decided to tell her the truth again. Or at least part of it.

"I normally sleep in, grab a burger, write and then go to work at the Drive-In." Jughead told her "Without the Drive-In, sticking to the rest of the schedule just didn't feel right."

Betty frowned. Jughead wasn't sure what she was expecting him to say, but he had clearly surprised her with his response. 

"I am sorry the Drive-In closed Juggie. Is there anything I can do?" Betty asked sincerely.

"No. The damage has been done." Jughead informed her. He was still processing losing the Drive-In, but having someone ask him about it somehow made a difference. Knowing that someone at least was trying to understand what the Drive-In meant to him, he was surprised at the difference it made. 

"You know Jughead, everybody needs someone." Betty tells him, throwing his words back him. "If you need to talk about the Drive-In or whatever you can talk to me about it."

"I know Betty, I know." Jughead said, trying to keep the conversation more casual than it seemed to be going. 

"You know, but will you?" she asked, curiosity apparent to Jughead

"I will." Jughead promised. "If I need to. Which who's to say if and when that day will ever come."

"I think that day is coming Jug. Just you wait." Betty replied.

Betty opened her laptop to begin working the layout for the paper. Jughead sat back down behind his desk, his leg nudging his pack of supplies. Suddenly remembering why he was here in the first place. He did need someone. He needed someone to realize he was homeless and give him options. But that person couldn't be Betty. He wouldn't let it be Betty. 

"So, do you have any input on the layout for tomorrow's issue?" Betty asked, seeming to be as ready to move on as he was. 

Jughead nodded, opening his laptop to begin working. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Between Episodes 1x04 and 1x05: Betty finally opens up about Polly

"I have been so unfocused lately!" Betty shouted, putting her head in her hands and slamming herself into a chair. "I can't think of a single new thing to write about that has anything to do with Jason's murder."

Betty had been in a state of anxiety since entering the room about 20 minutes ago. Actually, if Betty was being honest with herself, she had been anxious for days. Everything terrible seemed to be converging at once and her ever present composure was breaking.

"It is not like there have been any leads to follow." Jughead said, trying to comfort her. "Nothing new has really been discovered in the last few days."

"Still. I wanted this newspaper to be a force of good. To get the real story out there. To actually help figure out what happened to Jason Blossom!" Betty exclaimed, getting up from her chair and beginning to pace.

"It is a force of good, Betts." Jughead proclaimed. "But what else can we do? We and the police have hit a roadblock."

"That's not good enough. I need answers!" Betty says, pacing faster. She could hear the panic in her own voice, unsure how to shake it.

"I need answers too." Jughead explained "A murder mystery novel is not quite the same if it is unsolved."

Betty knew Jughead was just trying to help, but despite his efforts, she was feeling worse.

"But you have time to figure it out. I don't!" she shouted, staring at Jughead now. "It could take years to find Jason's killer and it would not matter to you. But I need to know as soon as possible."

"Hey..." Jughead said, standing up and blocking the path she was pacing.

Jughead and his therapeutic 'heys'. He hasn't had to yet, but Betty felt like the way he said "hey" could talk someone off a ledge.

Betty takes a deep breath and looks at him.

"What's going on? This isn't about Jason." Jughead asks.

Betty felt immediately defensive.

"Of course it is." Betty claimed feebly. "Finding out who murdered Jason is important."

"It is not just about Jason." Jughead reasoned. "What else is it about?"

Betty sighed. How long had this been preying on her mind? She had thrown herself into this Jason Blossom murder investigation with one goal. It's never been exclusively about Jason's killer for her and Betty knew that.

She hadn't told anyone. People knew that Polly was gone, but they didn't know the whole story. Even Betty didn't know the whole story. The residents of Riverdale had no idea just what had happened to her sister and she knew he parents wanted that fact to remain true.

But Jughead wasn't just another resident of the town. He was one of her best friends. He was her partner in running the newspaper. He was her teammate in trying to solve the mystery of the death of Jason Blossom. Betty knew she could trust him. Jughead would never judge her or her family. And right now, Betty needed some of his personal brand of honesty and realistic expectations.

"It's about Polly." Betty told Jughead, closing her eyes as she leaned against his desk and sighed her confession.

"You never talk about your sister." Jughead noted, moving from behind his desk to sit next to her.

Betty shook her head, her hands reaching to grab the edges of the desk to avoid clenching her fists.

"How can I? I don't know what is going on with her." Betty admitted

"What do you mean?" Jughead asked, his eyes filling with concern.

"I haven't spoken to her since Jason Blossom disappeared." Betty confessed.

Jughead looked surprised, but not in any way that made Betty regret telling him.

Betty sighed. "I haven't told anyone that."

Jughead looked quizzically at her "Not even Veronica?"

"Nope." Betty said, shaking her head. "I am not sure she or Kevin or Archie would understand."

Betty wasn't sure why, but she felt like Jughead would understand.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"I don't know that either." Betty admitted, feeling herself close to tears. "I am the worst sister."

"No you are not." Jughead reassured her. "Your mom has siblings, she has to be the  _worst_ sister."

Betty let a giggle escape, but it didn't stop the tears from coming.

"She was hospitalized not long before Jason's murder. But my parents won't tell me anything." she explained, wiping her tears away as she did. "They won't tell me what she did to get hospitalized, where she is, or how she is doing."

Betty allowed the next round of tears to roll across her face. She had spent so much of her time holding back. Betty hadn't wanted people to know just how out of the loop she was when it came to her sister. She wanted to be like her parents, confident and in control. But Betty wasn't in control. She felt like everything in her life was controlled by forces she couldn't fight against.

"Betty, that is harsh." Jughead replied, his face sympathetic.

"And I miss her." Betty continued, wiping her tears "I miss our family. She was home for me and my home is gone."

Jughead nodded.

"Why haven't you said anything before?" Jughead asked, his voice much gentler than usual.

"Because I wasn't sure how to without falling apart." Betty admitted unintentionally. "As you can see, I was not able to do so."

"It's ok to fall apart." Jughead told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Especially over this."

Betty nodded. She wanted to agree with him, but she couldn't allow herself to do so. Her mother had always told her that the Cooper women must be strong at all times. Vulnerability is weakness and weakness impedes goals. If she fell apart over Polly, she would be no closer to finding her. She needed to be strong. But right now, she didn't feel like she could be. She needed to be weak, even if it was only for a moment.

"And I don't know how this logic works," Betty continued. "but in my head I thought if I could figure out what happened to Jason, maybe Polly could come home."

_It sounds insane._  Betty thought to herself.  _Jughead is going to think I am crazy just like my mother and my sister. He might not want to judge me, but if it is right there in front of him, how could he pretend he doesn't see the insanity of what I am saying?_

"It's not the  _most_ logical thought process." Jughead admitted, removing his hand from her shoulder and moving to stand in front of her.

"But the last time you saw Polly, she and Jason were happy and together. It makes sense that the two would be connected for you."

Jughead made it sound so logical. So easy. Betty felt relief flood through her veins. She had picked the right person to break down with.

"I want my family back together, Jug." Betty confided in him.

"I know. I can relat….really understand that." Jughead told her.

Betty knew there was more to that, but she wasn't in quite the right emotional place to change focus.

_Later._ Betty decided.  _I will ask him about that later._

"I just wish we could put everything else off and really focus on Jason Blossom." Betty told Jughead, wiping away the last of the tears away.

"We should." Jughead agreed.

"What?" Betty questioned.

"We should. And we can." Jughead told her. "The Variety Show is coming up. We can send a couple freshman writers to interview the Pussycats and other potential acts. Maybe ask another one if they would interview a teacher for that Teacher Spotlight thing you did with Grundy."

"That was a fake interview." Betty pointed out.

"But a good idea for a school newspaper.' Jughead retorted. "Ask Kevin to vamp a little in the gossip section and that is at least two issues we can abstain from."

"You know, we are not supposed to know that Kevin is the head of the Gossip column." Betty explained, trying to be a good editor. "It is supposed to be anonymous."

"I cannot think of a single person that doesn't know it is Kevin." Jughead added

"Kevin." Betty said, struck with an idea.

"What about Kevin?" Jughead replied, looking very confused by Betty's sudden change in mood

"His dad was working on a murder board!" Betty exclaimed

"Yes…." Jughead responded slowly, clearly still confused. "It makes sense that he would. But would Kevin have access to it? Wouldn't everything on it be confidential information?"

"Probably. If Kevin hadn't let it slip during lunch yesterday that his dad's murder board was stolen during the break in at their house!" Betty informed Jughead, the prospect of lead in the case brightening her spirits.

"Stolen?" Jughead said "So anyone could have it?'

"Yes. So the information is no longer confidential."

Betty wasn't sure if that was how it actually worked. But considering anyone in town could have the information, why shouldn't the people who want to help solve the case have access to it to?

"So Kevin could hypothetically help us recreate his dad's murder board and maybe from there we could get some more clues." Jughead concluded, excitement starting to enter into his voice too.

"Way ahead of you, Jug. Dialing Kevin right now." Betty explained, her phone already in her hands and her fingers barely able to keep up with her mind.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the beginning of Episode 1x05. Betty and Jughead wait for Kevin to show up with the evidence.

"What time did Kevin say he would be here?" Jughead asked, retrieving documents from the printer.

"About 9:30. He's going to skip first period to help us." Betty replied, grabbing thumb tacks from her desk.

"And what time is it now?"

"7:06." Betty responded, glancing at the clock on the wall.

Jughead groaned.

"How in the hell is it only 7:06?"

"Well, we got here at 6:30 for a 9:30 meeting on a Wednesday morning." Betty explained "I got here at 6:30 anyway. How long have you been here?"

"A bit longer." Jughead replied dismissively.

_Why was he always doing that?_ Betty thought to herself.  _Sometimes it feels like I strike a nerve with the most innocuous comment._ Betty wants to ask him about it. Was it her? Was he just being Jughead? But she doesn't want to make things awkward just as they are expecting Kevin to show up.

And if she is being honest with herself, she is not sure she wants to know why. He told her he trusted her. It was in the midst of an argument sure, but it was an admission of trust none the less. She didn't want to think he wasn't telling her the truth. She needed to know that he trusted her because she grown to trust him so much in these past few weeks. She had shared things about her life that she hadn't with anyone else. How could she have done that with someone that doesn't trust?

"There are so many articles and pictures to sort through." Betty said, walking over to take the freshly printed items from Jughead. She was desperate to stop thinking the thoughts in her head "Want to help make them murder board ready?"

She extends a pair of scissors out to him.

"Sure." Jughead said, grabbing a pair of scissors and taking a seat at one of the desks. "Must be ready to go into hyper murder mode when Kevin shows up."

Betty smiled. She had always admired Jughead's way with words.

"I am sure Kevin will be thrilled. He's always wanted to be informant in a big noir murder case." Betty said, joining Jughead and grabbing the other pair of scissors.

"He's the informant. We are the sleuths." Jughead explained. "So who's the dame?"

"What do you mean?" Betty asked.

"In a big noir mystery, there is always some attractive dame that gets the PI's involved." Jughead says

"Well, I guess Polly is the dame. She is the reason I am doing this anyway." Betty added.

Jughead winced. Betty hadn't said it to make things uncomfortable, but she could tell he was regretting his words.

"Betts, I'm…" Jughead began.

"It's ok, Jug." she told him, trying to stop him from apologizing. She just wanted to be happy for a moment. She wanted to appreciate that they are about to be making progress in this case after such a long stalemate.

They continued working for a few minutes without speaking. Just the sounds of scissors cutting paper.

"Let's talk about something else." Betty said, hoping Jughead would be up for changing the subject.

"Ok." Jughead agreed. He had stopped cutting, gotten up and turned to face Betty, crouching in the chair rather than a normal sitting position. "What do you want to talk about?"

Betty paused. She hadn't gotten that far in planning the subject change.

"What do we normally talk about?" Betty asked, turning to face him too.

"Murder, the Paper, tawdry affairs between teacher and student." Jughead started

"I meant normal things." Betty joked.

"Murder isn't the norm?" Jughead asked, sarcasm apparent.

Betty shook her head smiling.

"Well in that case...we talk about Veronica, Kevin, Reggie a lot more than I think I am willing to admit. And of course, my former best friend, Archie." Jughead listed off casually.

That struck a nerve with Betty.  _I thought things were better between the two of them._

"Is he still former best friend?" she asked.

Jughead sat there for a moment, as if he were thinking about how to respond.

"We're working on it." Jughead told her. "I have only gotten like three cheeseburgers. I told him it would take many to make this work."

"What do you quantify as many? Will it ever be enough?" she asked, half joking but really wondering if they could be friends again. Betty wasn't sure why she was so invested in their friendship, but she really needed to know where they were emotionally.

"At some point sure. It is not like I am still mad. We are good. But he hasn't earned the title back yet. Might not ever now that…" Jughead stopped himself.

"Now that…" Betty probed.  _He couldn't just start a sentence like that and stop half way through._

"Now  _that."_ Jughead said, looking as though he felt obligated to finish the sentence. "You are my best friend."

She was trying to hide how flattered she felt. Jughead was always so guarded. You never really knew where you stood with him. Until now, apparently.

"Haven't I always been?" Betty joked.

Jughead smiled and nodded at her.

"Yes, but you are uncontested at this point." Jughead answered.

Betty stared at Jughead for a moment. She was now Jughead's best friend. His only best friend. He trusted her.

_It's nice to know I am not alone in this. Feeling like things are different between us now. Jughead knows too. We have always been important in each other's lives, but now it's different. His opinions matter more, I noticed the subtleties of his feelings more. He's has never been shy about trying to make me feel better, but he seems to be noticing me more too. We both seem to be contributing more to our relationship with each other and it wasn't even intentional._

Realized she had been staring for more than a couple seconds, she quickly turned her head around to continue cutting up articles.

"Maybe I should just go old school and punish Archie for 16 years for his withholding of friendship." Jughead joked, tearing Betty away from her thoughts.

"Is that really fair though?" Betty asked. "I mean when Henchard did it, he was punishing himself for selling his wife and daughter. Is that comparable to ignoring you for months?"

"Wait." Jughead said, smiling at her. "You read the Mayor of Casterbridge?"

Betty smiled back, grabbing the book from her purse.

"I couldn't put it down. It was such an amazing book. No wonder it is your favorite!"

Jughead glanced at her purse.

"And you've been carrying it with you since summer?" Jughead asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

Betty blushed. She hadn't really thought about that until now. Now that Jughead mentioned it, this book has not left her side for more than a few moments since Jughead loaned it to her.

"Oh, I am sorry I kept it this long." Betty told him, extending the book out to him reluctantly.

"No it is fine. I wanted you to borrow it so that you could read it. And you did." he said, smiling even bigger than he was previously.

Betty was smiling now too.  _I can't believe I forgot to mention to him that I have read it. A couple of times, actually._

"There was another reason you told me that day too." Betty added, remembering that morning on her front porch.

"Was there?" Jughead questioned. "It was insanely early in the morning. I probably told you it was the key to eternal youth."

"You said." Betty cleared her throat to quote him " _In case while you are in LA you start to feel lonely you can take this book out of your purse and think of your old pal Jughead._ "

"And you did?" Jughead questioned, sounding surprised

"And I did." Betty told him, not sure why he seemed surprised by this. "It really helped me cope with everything. It still does."

Betty started staring at the book. She hadn't really thought about it, but whenever things started feeling overwhelming she would pull out Jughead's book and read passages. She almost had certain ones memorized.

"Then you should keep it." Jughead told her. "At least until Jason's murderer is behind bars and Polly is safe and sound at home."

Betty smiled.

"Thanks, Juggie."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Besides, I have to rub it in that I finally read your favorite book and you still haven't read mine." Betty joked, getting up to grab note cards to write information for the murder board on them.

" _Lonely was much better than alone."_ Jughead quoted.

Betty stopped her tracks, but not turning around.

"What?" Betty said, feeling as though her heart had stopped along with her steps.

" _It may even be that some of us know what it is like to be actually hated—hated for things we have no control over and cannot change."_

Betty was stunned. The smile that burst across her face hurt. She dropped the notecards on the desk.

"I can't believe it." Betty said, turning around to smile at him. "You actually read The Bluest Eye?"

"You'd be surprised how boring things got around here without you." Jughead told her, as though this fact should have been obvious to her. "That is of course before water polo players went missing in rivers."

"You read my favorite book." Betty said, excitedly rushing to sit next to him. "No one ever has. I think I have Veronica thinking about it, but she would rather be reading Audrey Hepburn's biography."

"You know, all you had to say it was about an outsider who desperately wishes for things to change only for things to get worse." Jughead explained to her "If you had, I would have read it years ago."

Betty giggled. "Of course. I don't know why I never considered that."

_Jughead read my favorite book._ Betty could hardly hold back her happiness. It is not as though she had ever tried very hard to get others to read it, but it had always disappointed her that no one had ever tried. Not Jughead, Kevin or Archie, not even Polly had ever even considered to in the past. Having someone make that effort, to read something just because she suggested it, it made her feel special. It was a simple gesture, but it meant so much to her.

"Maybe you worried my naturally analytical brain would get more out of the source material than yourself." Jughead teased.

Betty immediately regretted the kind thoughts she had just been having about Jughead. She crumbled up some paper and threw it at Jughead playfully.

"Well, Toni Morrison thought I had a good handle on the source material." she added, feeling the need to brag to Jughead about this.

"Wait, what? You met Toni Morrison?!" Jughead exclaimed.

"I didn't tell you?" Betty asked.

Jughead shook his head.

Betty had completely forgotten. She had made plans to tell him when they ran into each other the day she got back, but so much had happened in that time.

"I helped organize a book launch party for her. She sat with me for a couple minutes and gave my advice and autographed my book." Betty explained.

She went over to her backpack where she always kept her copy of  _The Bluest Eye._

She showed Jughead the inscription.

" _Thank you for you help with the book launch. You'll have the world at your feet someday, Betty Cooper. Don't forget my advice."_

He stared at her for a moment.

"That has to be one of the coolest things to ever happened to any of us ever!" Jughead told her, his excitement nearly matching hers.

They both smiled at each other. Betty soon found herself in a frenzy of conversation. The topic kept changing from her conversation with Toni Morrison, to The Bluest Eye, to the Mayor of Casterbridge. It seemed almost seamless at times.

So seamless in fact, Betty hardly noticed when Kevin walked through the door.

"So sorry I am late. I could not get out of Government class today."

They looked at the clock. It was 10:03.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x05: Takes place within about thirty minutes of the previous chapter.

"This is how my dad had his Jason Blossom Murder Board before it was trashed." Kevin explained to Betty and Jughead, who were staring at the board.

Kevin arrived with diagrams of what he remembered of his father's murder board in hand. The three of them has spent the last half hour putting it together. Now that all the pieces were in place, they were speculating what the pieces could possibly mean. 

"Any leads on who did that and what they were looking for?" Jughead asked, certain he already knew the answer.

"Nope. They stole a bunch of files, background checks and all the video and audio tapes of police interviews." Kevin explained.

_Just as I thought. The Sheriff doesn't know who stole his evidence and whether or not they were connected to the murder._ Jughead considered.  _How is it that we have more evidence than we had this morning, but we are still so in the dark about what happened?_

_Betty is going to be so disappointed._ Jughead realized.  _She was counting on this murder board to bring them stunning revelations about the murder. But it was just a visual representation of what we already know._

Jughead felt himself saddened. He wanted this to help them find a break in the case. Now he worried about how Betty was going to handle this latest set back in the case. 

Before any of them could contribute more to the discussion, Trev Brown walked through the door.

"Hey. Betty" Trev said, smiling as he walked into the Blue and Gold offices.

"Trev, hi." Betty said merrily, hopping of the desk to face him.

Jughead turned to look.  _Why does Betty sound so happy to see him?_

"Sorry to interrupt." Trev said

_Not sorry enough._ Jughead thought to himself bitterly.

"Oh no. It's ok, we were just working on…" Betty drifted off

"Our murder board." Jughead jumped in, not wanting to spare Trev from what they were doing. Despite Betty's reassurances to Trev, Jughead found himself minding the sudden interruption of their investigation.

Trev stood there, mouth agape.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure we are still on for tomorrow." Trev questioned.

"Absolutely. It's a date." Betty responded, almost automatically. 

_A date?_ Jughead thought to himself.  _A date? Betty is going on a date with this guy?_

"I mean, I'll see you there. Bye." Betty said, awkwardly as Trev walked out the door.

"Going on a date with Trev?" Kevin questioned.

_At least I am not the only one weirded out by this._ Jughead thought to himself.  _But why am I weirded out about this? Betty has gone a dates before. Sure, they are usually with guys who look like they understand how keys work unlike Trev. Why does it bother me this time?_

Jughead realizes they have been talking for a few minutes and decides to tune back in.

"Anyway, it's not a  _date_ date." Betty told Kevin, sounding more like rationalizing than actual belief. 

"You just called it a date. You literally said 'It's a date.'" Jughead snarked at her, sounding more annoyed than he meant to.

_She called it a date. And she sounded happy about it. More than just happy, she sounded like she was really looking forward to it. But how can she be? It hasn't been that long since things went down with Archie. Does this mean that she is over him? That she is ready to move on?_

"That's just my cover." Betty explained, snapping Jughead out of his thoughts. "Really, it is just an intelligence gathering mission."

Jughead began to feel relieved. But then he had to psycho analyze.  _Why do I feel relieved? What does it matter if Betty was actually going on a date with this guy? Why should I care who she wants to spend time with?_

The bell rang and they all gathered their books to head off to class. One of the advantages of working on the paper is having the first couple periods of the day dedicated to that.

A date. Betty has a date. And Jughead can't stop thinking about it. With a guy like Trev, a jock who is not the type of guy Betty usually goes for.

_That's not true._ Jughead realized.  _Archie is a jock. She had a crush on Reggie when we were younger and he's a jock. Maybe Trev is her type._

Jughead felt his stomach drop with disappointment. Trev was her type whether or not Jughead wanted to admit it. And this bothered him. Why did this bother him?

"Hey Jughead, are you ok?" Kevin asked him, craning his head to try to look Jughead in the eye.

"What?" Jughead asked, not realizing Kevin had been walking with him to biology.

"You seem distracted." Kevin said

"No, I am fine. Just trying to remember if I did the homework for this class or not" Jughead lied as they continued to walk to class.

Kevin continued to walk with him, wearing skepticism on his face.

Jughead spent the next few hours in mental turmoil. He was trying desperately not to think about Betty or her date, but could think of nothing else.

Before Jughead was even aware of it, it was lunch time and the gang decided to eat on the bleachers today with little input from him.

Betty, Veronica, Kevin and Jughead were making their way over to the bleachers when Kevin started a conversation that dragged Jughead out of his stupor.

"So V, have you heard? Our dear Betty has a date!" Kevin teased.

_So I'm not the only one obsessing over this. That's nice to know._ Jughead reassured himself.  _But, I am sharing brain waves with Kevin. This can't be a good path to be on._

"It's not a..." Betty started, but was quickly interrupted.

"A date. Oh my God. B, that is amazing news. Why haven't you said anything?" Veronica said, clearly enthused about this development.

"Because it wasn't a big deal." Betty said, her eyes darting across the field. Jughead couldn't tell if she was downplaying things out of embarrassment or because she was just being Betty and didn't want to make a big deal out of things.

"So who is he?" Veronica asked.

"Trev Brown. Valerie's younger brother." Kevin answered, clearly realizing Betty's lack of motivation to continue the conversation.

Veronica didn't say anything, but she started focusing more on Betty. Jughead only noticed this because his primary focus was on Betty too.

Once they had made it over to the bleachers, Veronica seemed as though she was bursting to say something.

"Betty, you're positively radiating Nicholas Sparks!"

_This is Veronica's conclusion? I thought she knew Betty better than that. Maybe she does. Maybe Veronica is seeing what I don't want to._ Jughead wasn't sure why, but he had the sudden urge to kick Veronica's purse across the field.

"Tell me everything about this Trev!" she said, sounding intrigued

"Oh there is nothing to tell. Just one of Betty's sources. There's nothing romantic in the offing." Kevin added to the fray.

Jughead rolled his eyes. Apparently everyone thought this was good news. Kevin and Veronica were thrilled about this date. Jughead was having a hard time keeping his usual stoicism going.

They all started to sit down in their usual place. Betty sat with Archie, Jughead would sit a couple rows back with Kevin and Veronica sitting in the middle.

But then Kevin looked at Jughead. More than just looked. Kevin's face seem to come to some sort of realization. Before Jughead could think too long on what that realization might be, Kevin moved up the row and went to sit next to him.

Jughead didn't mind that Kevin switched up the normal seating arrangements, but he was curious why. Also, Jughead couldn't stop noticing that Kevin kept looking at him, especially whenever Betty's date was mentioned.

_Betty's date._ Jughead groaned internally.  _He almost hadn't thought about it in five seconds. Betty's date with an informant. A stupid informant. Probably needs help telling time informant._

_Ok, why am I suddenly obsessed with Trev? Why am I so convinced that he is an idiot? Why does the very thought of the guy make me want to kick Veronica's purse?_

These thoughts plagued him for the rest of lunch. Even Cheryl's appearance with the world's creepiest memorial invitations wasn't enough to get his mind of Betty's date.

Or, if he was being completely honest with himself, he couldn't keep his mind off Betty.

Jughead sat in their final class of the day, World History, pondering just why he couldn't stop thinking about Betty.

Jughead has always known that Betty was amazing. Not just amazing. She was one of the best people on earth. He surprised himself the other day, but he meant it when he told her she was his best friend.

But Jughead knew it was more than that. It was more than just an objective observer noticing a person. He noticed everything about her. Within seconds of being around her, he could tell how she was feeling. And no matter how she was feeling, Jughead wanted to know. He wanted to be there. He wanted to be a part of it.

He loved talking to her. Whether it be about the Blue and Gold or Jason's murder or his novel or even the trite mishaps of everyday life, he could never get enough conversation with her. She wasn't like anyone else. She was smart; actual intelligence rather than just GPA based intelligence. She was kind and caring; there was not a single person Betty Cooper would ever refuse to help or care for. She was funny; not big funny, but her jokes always lit up any room she was in.

And she was beautiful. So beautiful. The way her eyes sparkled when she talked about her sister. The way she smiled when someone made her laugh. The way her ponytail swished when she got lost in thought. Jughead had to force himself to stop looking at her sometimes.

That is when it really hit him. You don't think all of these thoughts about your friend. You think them about your crush.

Jughead had a crush a Betty.

He knocked his book off the desk in shock. The entire class turned around to see him. They all laughed, assuming Jughead had fallen asleep in class again.

Jughead tried to reach over and pick up his book, but Betty had already grabbed it and was handing it back to him.

_Are you ok?_ Betty mouthed, looking from him to the book.

Jughead found himself nodding sheepishly, carefully grabbing the book back from her. Betty smiled at him, then turned back to face the teacher who was carrying on with the lesson.

Jughead smiled too. He smiled merely because she smiled. How could he have not noticed it before? How could he have not realized how he was feeling? How long had this been building up for him?

_And now that I know, I can't unknow._ Jughead thought to himself.  _I can't stop thinking about her this way._

On the one hand it is nice to know he isn't just mad at some jock for just being himself. But now Jughead had to live with it. He had to live with Betty going on dates, informants or otherwise. He had already had to suffer through the Archie era and that was before he admitted to himself he liked her.

_Did I like her then?_ Jughead thought.  _Has it just been since the start of the investigation or did it start before?_

But as Jughead sat there staring out the window, any pretense of actually paying attention to the teacher gone, he wasn't sure he could say these romantic feelings for Betty were a recent development. Maybe he never let himself notice before because he, like everyone else, assumed that she was destined to be with Archie. But that was not the case, at least it wasn't the case right now. Jughead quickly realized that it didn't matter when his feelings for her started. He liked her now and that was what mattered.

Now that he knew, Jughead had to decide what happened from here.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x05, Betty prepares to meet up with Trev

Betty ran frantically around her room, pulling items from her closet and her dresser.

_What am I going to wear on this date?_ Betty worried to herself.

_No, it's not a date. It is just a dinner with someone who can give us information about Jason Blossom._

Betty was nervous for reasons she didn't quite understand. She needed someone to talk her down. She texted Veronica to come over, but she hadn't replied yet. Betty was desperate for reassurance at this point.

She grabbed her cell phone from the table and dialed without thinking about it.

"Hello?" Jughead answered.

Betty jumped at the sound of his voice.  _I dialed Jughead?_

"Oh," Betty replied, unsure why her instinct was to call him. "I'm sorry Juggie, I was trying to call...I actually don't know who I was trying to call."

"It is alright." Jughead reassured her. "We can talk at school tomorrow."

"No, wait!" Betty shouted, unsure why. It was as though she could hear his finger moving towards the end call button. And she didn't want to end the call just yet. "I did call you. How are you?"

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry, Betts." Jughead said, sounding annoyed. "I am not offended you weren't trying to call me."

"It's not guilt, Jughead. Can't I want to talk to my friend?" Betty asked, unsure why she wanted to continue the conversation.

"You can..." Jughead said, drawing out the word with skepticism. "But you don't have to."

"But I want to." Betty stated vehemently. "Let's talk."

"Ok." Jughead replied. "How's dinner with the  _informant_ going?"

Betty couldn't help but notice the malice in the word  _informant._

"Hasn't happened yet. I am supposed to meet him at Pop's in an hour." Betty said, unable to stop the shaking in her voice.

"Is everything ok, Betts?" Jughead asked her, sounding concerned.

"I don't know. This is suddenly sounding like a terrible idea." she told him.

Jughead took a deep breath on the other end of the line.

"You were the one who said we had to use the resources that we have that the police don't." he replied

"True." Betty conceded

"And the last time I checked, the Sheriff's department wasn't lining up to question people who aren't suspects."

Betty nodded. This is why she had decided to talk to Trev in the first place. He wasn't a suspect, but he knew things about Jason that could be helpful to the case. Even though she remembered her reasoning for wanting to go out with Trev in the first place, it didn't calm her nerves.

"But can't you go on a date with Cheryl or something instead?" Betty suggested, but then instantly regretted.

She found herself grimacing at the very idea of Jughead on a date with Cheryl. She would sit there acting all superior to Jughead, not appreciating his sense of humor or his taste in books or movies. And Cheryl was beautiful sure, but Jughead needed more than that from a girl. At least in Betty's opinion. A date between the two of them would be a nightmare.

"I don't think I am her type." Jughead joked, snapping Betty back into the conversation.

"And I am Trev's?" Betty pointed out, then regretting her words once again.

"I don't think guys like Trev have a type." Jughead responded, though it sounded to Betty like he wasn't saying what he actually wanted to.

"Thanks, Jug." Betty replied, sarcastically.

"No." Jughead replied, sounding frazzled. "That's not what I meant. You're the best, Betty. He's not..."

Jughead was silent. He seemed to decide it was better to stop talking in that moment than to continue on.

_What could he want to say? Jughead doesn't normally care about these things and he's never shy about telling me what he really thinks of a situation. What is causing him to hold back._

_Although maybe the better question is why do I care so much what Jughead thinks about my going out with Trev?_

There was silence for a few moments. Betty was waiting for Jughead to continue his thoughts.

"Are you alright over there?" Betty asked. "It sounded like you had more to say."

"Sure." Jughead said, a definite end to his verbal input. "Maybe I am not the best person to talk to about this."

As if on cue, Betty's door swung open.

"Never fear, Veronica Lodge is here to solve your wardrobe debacle" Veronica said, bringing herself into Betty's room.

Betty smiled. Veronica was finally here to help her sort out this mess.

"Jug, I have to go. I will tell you how it goes tomorrow." Betty explained.

"Alright." Jughead replied, sounding almost relieved for a way out of the conversation. "I will talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight, Betty."

"Good night Juggie."

They both hung up and Betty turned to face Veronica as she began sorting through Betty's clothes.

"Hmm. Diffficult. On the one hand, you want to look your best on a first date, but on the other he is taking you to Pop's." Veronica dropped the dress she was holding in favor of a green blouse.

"It's not a date, V." Betty explained to her.

"I'm sure it isn't." Veronica replied, but staring at Betty's closet rather than looking at her.

"I'm serious V. Trev is just an informant." Betty told her. "That's what I tried to explain to you guys at lunch, but Kevin was so convinced..."

"Then why, pray tell, are you so nervous?" Veronica asked, turning around to face Betty as she waited for a reply.

Betty sighed. If she knew that, she wouldn't need help right now.

"Because I have to pretend it's a date. I've never been good at lying to people."

_Was that it?_ Betty wondered to herself.  _Am I just nervous about having to lie to Trev and feign interest in him?_

"Is that all it is?" Veronica asked, as though she were reading her mind.

"No." Betty admitted. "But I don't really know what the other part of it is."

"Maybe you are feeling guilty about going on a date." Veronica offered, as she threw herself back into Betty's closet.

_Guilty?_

"Why would I feel guilty about going on a date? Which this isn't even a date." Betty reasoned once again

"Because you have feelings for someone else." Veronica stated as though this were an obvious fact.

"What?" Betty questioned.

Betty was genuinely confused.  _What makes Veronica think I have feelings for someone? It wasn't as though I have started acting differently towards anyone. When would I have had time to start crushing on someone? I spend all my time thinking about Jason and working on the paper with Jughead. Who would I even have feelings for at this point?_

"Archie." Veronica said, as though feeling like this should have been obvious to Betty '"You're still not over him, right?"

"Oh." Betty replied simply, sitting down on her own bed. "I hadn't really considered that."

Veronica looked surprised.

"You haven't. Really?" Veronica asked

"No. I've had so much on my mind the past couple weeks. Working on the paper, the murder board. Jughead and I have been working non-stop on the paper and investigating." Betty rattled off.

"Are you actually telling me, you are over darling Archiekins?" Veronica said, sounding unintentionally excited.

"Maybe not completely." Betty told her, honestly. "But definitely over enough. I guess I have different priorities these days than being one half of the perfect couple."

Betty couldn't help noticing Veronica smiling to herself.

"Then why can't this night with Trev be a date?" Veronica asked, handing Betty a lacy pink shirt.

Betty took the shirt from her and smiled.

"I guess there is no reason it can't be."

_Except that Jughead has he doubts about this. I wish I could pretend I didn't care about that, but I do. Jughead thinking this is a bad idea makes me question it too._

"Just go, have fun. What's the worst that can happen." Veronica replied, now searching for something to match the shirt she had just picked out.

_What is the worst that can happen? Jughead isn't always right. Why can't going out with Trev be a date?_

About an hour and 15 minutes later, it became pretty obvious to Betty why this couldn't be a date.

Betty had arrived at the restaurant wearing the pink top Veronica picked out and a nice pair of jeans. Casual, but not too casual. She found Trev at the table and sat down across from him and ordered a milkshake. After sitting in silence for a couple minutes, Betty decided to cut to the chase and ask about his info on Jason Blossom.

Trev was very informative the first five minutes of the date. He told Betty how Jason changed once he and Polly got together and even got involved with selling drugs.

_This was definitely a step in the right direction._ Betty thought to herself as she sat there.  _The investigative part of this has been very successful._

"Can we talk about something else. I mean, besides Jason and your sister?' Trev asked her.

"Of course." Betty told him, sitting up in her chair. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know." Trev said, letting out a nervous laugh "What do you usually talk about on dates?"

Betty had to think. It had been awhile since she had been on a date.

"The basics I guess." Betty told him. "What's your favorite band or musician?"

"I don't know. I think the Pussycats sound alright." Trev told her. "To be honest, I am really not that into music."

"Oh. Ok." Betty replied.  _Who's not into music?_

"Ask me another one."

_Ok. Maybe I can give this another shot._

"Favorite TV show?" she asked, already planning out possible continuations of that conversation thread.

"I don't watch TV." he told her. "I practice a lot after school. I don't have a lot of time for it."

"What's your favorite book?" Betty asked, though she could already tell what his answer was going to be.

Trev sat in silence for a few minutes.

"I am not much of a reader to be honest." he admitted, starting to look as uncomfortable as she felt.

The both glanced in opposite directions. The waiter started over in their direction, but suddenly turned around when he saw them.

_Even strangers can tell this is uncomfortable._

"So you work on the paper?" Trev asked, sounding thrilled that he could come up with a topic of conversation

"I do!" Betty enthused, glad to have something to talk about "We are trying to be a reputable source of news and we are working on solving the murder of Jason Blossom."

_That sounds like the paper's mission statement. Jughead might appreciate it, but it is not exactly the stuff of romantic comedies._

"We? As in you and Kevin?" Trev asked, seeming unsure.

"Me and Jughead." she corrected. "He has been contributing excerpts from his novel."

"Jughead?" Trev questioned, sounding as though the name were a word from a different language.

"He was in the Blue and Gold office yesterday when you confirmed our dinner?" Betty said, trying to guide him to a realization. "Dark hair. Jean jacket. Wearing plaid and probably an S shirt."

"An 'S' shirt? What does the S stand for?" Trev said, sounding curious.

"You know, I don't know. He has been wearing them since we were children."

_What does the S stand for? It's not his initials or anyone else's they knew. It probably wasn't for a favorite band since he has been wearing them since before they met._

"So you guys grew up together?" Trev asked, his voice revealing how grateful he was to keep the conversation going.

"Yes."  _Although why you don't know this, I don't know. Jughead has always been around._

"And you guys are close? I mean," Trev started, sounding nervous. "He doesn't seem like the type to like...people."

"We've been best friends since we were six." Betty defended, annoyed that Trev would make assumptions about Jughead. He might have a point, but Trev didn't know Jughead. Not like she did.

"How does a guy like that become friends with a girl like you?"

_A guy like him and a girl like me?_ Betty internally questioned.

"Jughead was friends with Archie first. Then my parents moved next door to Archie and we started hanging out, the three of us." Betty explained, avoiding getting upset over Trev's assumptions. "I didn't know if we were friends until he told me I could enter his treehouse even though girls weren't supposed to be allowed to."

Betty smiled. It had been a long time since she thought about how she and Jughead had become friends. It was such a part of who she was, she didn't think about the unlikelihood of it all. That someone like Jughead would befriend someone like her.

Trev stared at Betty a minute, looking as though he realized something.

"And you are working on the paper?" Trev asked

"Yes."

"Together?"

"Yes." Betty replied, not really sure where Trev was going with this.

"Are you still best friends?" he asked

"Yes." Betty said, growing tired of the one word responses. "Jughead is one of the best people I know. I am not sure what I would do without him."

"Oh." Trev replied. "Ok."

And that was that. Trev had run out of questions to ask and she really didn't want to ask him anything else.

The bill came moments later and they said goodbye, neither of them trying to make other plans with the other.

_Definitely not a date._ Betty texted to Veronica on her way back to her house.

The next day at school, Betty went straight to Jughead to tell him about the conversation with Trev and the one she had with her father later that night.

The two of them speculated what the information her father and Trev gave to her could mean.

"Why would he have to run away from Mommy and Daddy?" Jughead asked, wondering why Jason would run away from the perfect life on a whim.

"Because they're monsters." Betty supplied. If Betty could relate to anything, it was the desire to get away from monstrous parents

"Yeah, but why, specifically." Jughead argued, as though a parent being horrible wasn't a good enough of a reason to run away.

"Well, we can't exactly ask them." Betty pointed out, the mere prospect of doing so giving her chills.

"So we have to ask Jason." Jughead told her.

"Are you proposing a seance?" Betty asked, not quite sure what the two of them and a Ouija board could accomplish.

"No. Dead men tell no tales. But their bedrooms. Their houses." Jughead suggested

Betty looked at him questioningly.

"So you are suggesting we crash Jason's memorial?" she asked

"Technically, I will be the crasher. You were invited." Jughead informed her.

_Why wasn't Jughead invited? Everyone else was. Cheryl handed out so many invites, but for some reason there wasn't one for him. Jughead doesn't seem to care, but I don't want him to be left out._

"Ok. I think you are right. Let's go to the memorial." Betty said standing up.

"Good. We should probably get to class. I feel like I haven't gone to biology in weeks." Jughead told her, grabbing his backpack.

"Hey, Jug." Betty stopped him, grabbing his arm before he had the chance to leave. He looked from her arm to her eyes causing Betty to let him go self consciously.

"Who's your favorite musician or band?"

Jughead looked at her quizzically.

"Geez, that is tough." Jughead rubbed the back of his neck with his hand "The outsider in me is saying Nirvana, but if I am being honest, probably Avenge Sevenfold. Their music just resonates with me."

"See!" Betty exclaimed. "That is a real answer to the question."

Jughead smiled.

"I have a feeling this is not about me." Jughead teased.

"I asked Trev last night. He didn't know." Betty said, grabbing her backpack so they could leave the lounge together.

"He didn't know his favorite musician?" Jughead asked. "And I thought I was being too hard on him."

"He doesn't listen to music." she informed him, not bothering to ask what he meant.

"Who doesn't listen to music?" Jughead exclaimed. "Without music, life would be a mistake."

_Of course Jughead would quote Nietzsche in the middle of a school hallway._

"I know. It was so weird. I was shocked. I get not being a reader or a tv watcher, but that plus no music."

"What kind of guy did you go on a date with?" Jughead joked.

"It was NOT a date!" she shouted, causing people to look at them.

"You know, I actually believe you this time." Jughead said, smiling for a reason Betty did not know.

"It wasn't horrible, but after he told me what he knew about Jason, the longest conversation we had was about your S shirt. Or I guess shirts. What does the S stand for, anyway?" Betty asked as they walked into the biology classroom.

"So many things, Betts." He told her, smiling. "I would explain, but you know, class."

Betty shook her head, smiled and grabbed her biology textbook from her backpack.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x05. Kevin approaches Jughead in the hallway

Biology class just ended. Jughead was on his way to Algebra, a class he had without the rest of his friends when he noticed Kevin jogging behind him to keep up.

"Hey Jughead. Can I talk to you for a second?" Kevin asked, looking anxious.

"Sure." Jughead stopped in the middle of the hallway.  _Why was Kevin so anxious to talk to me? We've had known each other for years. I don't think the two of us have ever spoken one on one._

"I just talked to Betty." Kevin stated, adjusting the bag on his shoulder "She said the two of you were going to the memorial together."

"Yeah…" Jughead drew out the word, not sure how Kevin knew about that conversation. It only happened an hour ago and why would Betty tell him about it. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Kevin said, then turning to walk away from Jughead.

Jughead didn't have enough time to be confused when it appeared that Kevin change his mind and walked back towards Jughead.

"What are you going to wear?" Kevin asked, tilting his head to observe Jughead

"To Jason's memorial?" Jughead questioned. "I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it since I decided to go."

Kevin groaned before grabbing Jughead's shoulder.

"Well, think about it!" Kevin shouted, seeming to restrain himself from literally shaking Jughead.

People turned to stare at them. At this point, Jughead decided this wasn't a middle of the hallway conversation. He scooted them over closer to the lockers.

"What are you getting at, Kev?" Jughead asked, moving Kevin's hand off his shoulder.

"I have this suit." Kevin began, sounding proud. "I got it last year, only wore it once, but this is the social event of the year and I can't wear last year's suit."

"You do realize this is a memorial for a dead jock? It's not Prom." Jughead pointed out, not really understanding why Kevin was so invested in Jason's memorial.

"Please, you know this is going to be so much more fascinating than Prom!" Kevin chided

Jughead nodded. A memorial at the infamous Blossom mansion for their beloved heir _was_  bound to be more fascinating than streamers in the school gymnasium.

"Anyway, I got a new suit, I am covered. Would you like to borrow my old suit?" Kevin asked.

Jughead was surprised. Kevin was offering him clothes? Not just clothes; a suit. Kevin had a reputation for being one of the best dressed guys in Riverdale. Whatever the suit he was offering Jughead looked like, it probably cost more than everything in Jughead's backpack of belongings combined.

"I don't know." Jughead told him, uncomfortable with wearing something that was so costly. "I can just wear something I already have."

Kevin sighed, as though he was expecting Jughead to resist his offer.

"No offense, Jug. We've been friends forever. I've seen your wardrobe a thousand times over. You have nothing that compares to my old suit." Kevin reasoned.

 _Kevin has a point._ Jughead thought to himself.  _The Blossoms would expect their guests in formal attire and my backpack isn't exactly black tie ready._

_And Betty was bound to look nice. He didn't want to look shabby next to her._

"Ok." Jughead agreed.

"Wait, really?" Kevin asked, looking surprised at Jughead agreement.

"I can at least try it on. See if it fits." Jughead rationalized.

Kevin had a look of triumph in his eyes.

"Great!" Kevin exclaimed, causing people around them to stare again. "Should I drop by your house around noon tomorrow?"

"No!" Jughead shouted unintentionally. "I have some stuff to work on in the bio lab. One o'clock, there."

Jughead pointed to the Blue and Gold office which was right behind him.

"Ok."Kevin said "See you tomorrow, Jughead."

Kevin walked away with a noticeable spring in his step. Jughead was pretty sure you couldn't have slapped the smile off Kevin's face.

_What was that about? That has to be the most confusing interaction I have ever had. This includes any conversation between myself and Cheryl Blossom._

The next day, Jughead waited for Kevin in the Blue and Gold offices. He stared at door wondering why Kevin was doing this. It's not that Kevin is ever rude to him or anything, but the two of them didn't really click. They were both friends with Betty and Archie, but Jughead never really gave Kevin more than a couple seconds thought and he was pretty sure Kevin felt the same about him.

_So why is Kevin suddenly so interested in my wardrobe?_

Jughead's thoughts were interrupted by Kevin's arrival. He swept into the room with a garment bag in hand.

"Sorry I am late." Kevin started, looking up the clock on the wall. "I almost forgot the matching cuff links, so I had to go back and get them."

Kevin extended the garment bag out to Jughead.

"I am not sure cuff links are necessary." Jughead said, grabbing for the bag. He looked at it as though it were a foreign object.

"Oh trust me, they are necessary." Kevin added, extending his hand with the cuff links out to Jughead.

"Ok..." Jughead said, skeptically taking the cuff links from him. "Thanks, Kevin."

Jughead turned away from Kevin to leave the room.

"Wait!" Kevin exclaimed. "You have to try it on first to see if it fits."

"I am sure it will be fine." Jughead pointed out. As long as the fit wasn't too ridiculous, he would probably wear the suit no matter what.

"You can't be sure until you try it on." Kevin reasoned.

Jughead stood there for a moment, annoyed. He normally would have snarked back at Kevin, but something was stopping him. Maybe it was gratitude.

"Fine." Jughead said, exasperatedly. He ducked into the office storage closet at the back of the room to change. "It won't be a big deal if it doesn't fit."

"Of course not." Kevin shouted to Jughead. "Because if it doesn't fit, we have time to go to my house and find something that does before the memorial."

_Ok. A spare suit is one thing. Offering me free reign of his closet? That is too far. There has to be something I am not aware of._

Jughead sighed. He knew it was asking for trouble, but Jughead had to know what was going on. Why did Kevin suddenly, for lack of a better word, care?

He walked out of the closet to find Kevin leaning against Betty's desk, flipping through note cards.

"Kevin, why is it so important to you what I wear to this event?" Jughead asked, cutting straight to the chase "We've known each other for years and you have never once cared about my clothes."

"Not true." Kevin argued, putting the note cards down and clicking one of Betty's pens from her desk. "I have suggested on several occasions that you might want to consider trying different color palettes."

Kevin looked off in the opposite direction "Although, that might have been just to Betty."

 _There has to be more to it._ Jughead thought. He stood there, waiting for Kevin to answer his question.

Rather than an answer, Kevin gestured for him to go back.

Jughead sighed, turning around and walking back into the closet.

"That doesn't answer the question." Jughead shouted, unzipping the garment bag.

Jughead could practically hear Kevin's eyes rolling from in the closet.

"Is it a crime to want my friend Jughead to look good for Bet...the memorial?" Kevin said, not so cleverly changing mid sentence.

 _Look good for Bet?_ Jughead noticed. It wasn't hard to figured out what Bet was short for.

"Look good for Betty?" Jughead asked, walking back out of the closet.

"Ok fine yes. I know, Ok." Kevin said, leaning back to where he was nearly lying on Betty's desk, breathing a big sigh of relief.

_He knows?_

"You know what?" Jughead said, stepping closer to Kevin.

"That you like Betty." Kevin stated plainly, raising back up, looking smugly satisfied.

"What?" Jughead said. He tried to wear a look of shock and annoyance on his face. Unfortunately, his thoughts were screaming so loud, Jughead was sure it didn't matter what his face was doing.

_He knows. He knows I have feelings for Betty. How could he possibly know? I've never said a word aloud to anyone. I haven't acted any differently around her. At least not that I am aware of._

"Oh come on. It's obvious to anyone paying attention." Kevin said, hopping off Betty's desk to put all of her belongings back where they were before he leaned on her desk.

"Actually try on the suit, Juggie. We need to have time for a back up plan." Kevin pointed out.

Jughead audibly groaned, but walked back into the storage closet and started pulling out items out of the garment bag.

_He knows I like Betty. He knows I like Betty and thinks he can call me Juggie. I have to put an end to this._

"What makes you think that I like Betty?" Jughead shouted, hoping there was enough skepticism in his voice to make Kevin doubt his conclusions.

"Oh, you know, there are a few things." Kevin shouted back, sounding as though he were standing closer to the outside of the door now. "You guys have been spending a lot of time together recently. The way you look at her, like she is the only person in the room. The way you look when she looks at you, like you can't believe your luck that she is looking at you."

Jughead sighed.  _Apparently I am not as discrete as I think I am._

"All of those things are subjective and could mean a ton of things outside what you are thinking they mean." Jughead said, refusing to acknowledge how right Kevin actually was.

"True." Kevin agreed. "And honestly, it slipped through the cracks until recently. Until I realized how phenomenally annoyed you were that Betty had a date with Trev."

Jughead sighed. He had just come to terms with his own feelings for Betty. He knew he liked Betty, and he had decided at least for the time being to do nothing about it. He needed more time to figure out what to do and until he decided what to do, he was trying to act unphased by everything. To now have Kevin here telling him he sucked at hiding those feelings, it was almost more than Jughead could handle.

Jughead knew Kevin was incapable of keeping a secret. Kevin couldn't know about this. He would just have to convince Kevin that he was mistaken.

"I was not  _annoyed_ that Betty had a  _non date_ with Trev Brown." Jughead lied, not even sounding convincing to himself.

"You looked like you were going to kick Veronica when she brought it up." Kevin pointed on.

"I was not going to kick Veronica." Jughead defended himself.

_Her purse on the other hand probably could have made it to China if I actually did what I wanted._

"Tell that to your face." Kevin shouted. "Anyway, that is when I noticed. I am not sure anyone else did, or that anyone else was trying to."

Jughead grimaced as he buttoned up the shirt.  _So Kevin thought it was pretty obvious. Anyone could figure out that I like Betty. Does this include Betty?_

Jughead rolled his eyes, refusing to think on that any further. He was almost done putting the suit on. His new problem was the tie.

He decided to walk out of the storage closet, tie draped around his neck.

"It looks great on you!" Kevin exclaimed, arms outstretched with excitement. "Here, let me help with the tie."

Kevin went to stand in front of Jughead to start working on tying the tie.

"Listen Kev, I really appreciate you loaning me your suit." Jughead told him.

_Though I appreciate it a lot less now knowing your real motivation was to suss out my feelings._

"No problem." Kevin joyfully said, focusing on the tie rather than Jughead's determined face. "I assume there's no talking you out of the hat?'

Jughead shook his head. Kevin shrugged and continued to work.

"But you have got to get it out of your head that I…"

Jughead couldn't even finish the sentence. As badly as he didn't want Kevin to know, he couldn't make himself say it wasn't true.

"Have feelings for Betty? Not likely." Kevin said.

He finished tying the tie and brushed Jughead's shoulders. Kevin smiled, beaming at Jughead.

"Besides, I just got my last bit of proof."

"And what's that?" Jughead asked, sure whatever it was could be easily refuted.

"You agreed to wear the suit. Since when does Jughead Jones care how he looks?" Kevin questioned.

Jughead tried to think of something to say. To come up with a rational explanation that would refute everything Kevin had just said and put him in the emotional clear.

He couldn't. There wasn't a single thing that came to mind that could deny any of Kevin's conclusions.

"Well, I have to go get ready." Kevin grinned. "You look great. I will sit with Archie at the memorial so that you and Betty can sit together. Good luck!" Kevin said, walking out of the Blue and Gold offices.

"Wait, Kevin!" Jughead shouted, but was relieved when Kevin didn't show up. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to Kevin anyway.

About an hour later, Jughead showed up at the Cooper house so he and Betty could head to the Blossom mansion, Thornhill, together.

He knocked on the door, her father opened and pointed him upstairs to Betty's bedroom.

He headed up the stairs slowly, suddenly feeling ridiculous. Kevin had taken the effort of trying to make him look nice for what Kevin considered "the social event of the season" and confronted Jughead with feelings he was desperately trying to hide. Jughead was feeling very exposed and vulnerable.

_Not quite the way I would choose to feel when entering the house of horrors. But it's not like I am getting much of a choice in how I feel these days._

Jughead sighed, knowing this was not the time to be thinking about his crush.

 _What is the point?_ Jughead thought, feeling defeated.  _She is in love with Archie. And even if she isn't by some chance, there was no way that Betty Cooper would ever notice me. Not in 'that way'. The chances of that happening are next to impossible._

He saw her bedroom door open. Jughead took a deep breath and decided to walk in.

"Ready to enter the belly of the beast?" he asked her jokingly.

She turned around from the mirror she was facing.

She looked amazing. Betty  _always_ looked amazing. No matter if she was in the palest of pinks or the darkest of blacks, Betty was the most beautiful girl in any room. Her hair was not in its signature ponytail and Jughead had to suppress a gulp. How could anyone not notice her?

Once Betty set her eyes on Jughead, she looked him up and down. And then she smiled.

Not just smiled. She was beaming.

Jughead felt super self conscious. He wasn't sure why, smiling was supposed to be a good reaction. But felt his hands start to shake.

"It was the best I could do." Jughead told her as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

But she wasn't judging him. She quickly glanced up and down and continued smiling.

 _She actually noticed me?_ Jughead thought.  _In what universe do I, lifelong outsider and sidekick, earn her notice?_

But it was clear that she did notice, and Jughead couldn't deny that.

Jughead blushed and sheepishly grinned.

"So are you?" Jughead asked, hoping to make this moment less uncomfortable.

"Hmm?" Betty asked, as though she were distracted.

"...ready to enter the belly of the beast?" Jughead asked, not sure if he was the thing that was distracting her.

"Yes!" Betty exclaimed, darting past him to get out of her room.

"Let's go!" she shouted back at him from the staircase.

Jughead grinned as he left Betty's room.

_Maybe the impossible could happen._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie. This chapter was a long winded a way for me to headcanon where Jughead got the suit. I know Jughead and Kevin are not the same size at all, but the suit did look a bit big on him and Kevin is more muscular. Besides, women wear the same size clothes in TV all the time. Why can't guys?


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x05 The Blossom Mansion. Jughead and Betty are trying to locate Jason's bedroom.

Who knew the easy part would be sneaking away from the funeral?

Jughead and Betty made it up the stairs of Thornhill and it didn't seem like a soul noticed. But upon reaching the top of the stairs, the real problem became abundantly clear.

"There has to be at least 10 doors just in this hallway. How do we know which one is Jason's room?" Betty asked, looking over to Jughead.

"I don't know. I guess we just have start opening doors and hoping skeletons don't fall out." Jughead joked.

Betty couldn't help but smile.

"Should we split up?" Jughead asked, but hoping Betty would decline the offer. "We would cover more ground quicker."

"No!" Betty shouted. The idea of being alone, of splitting up in this house made her uncomfortable.

Jughead looked at her with surprise. He wasn't expecting her to have such a strong reaction to the idea of parting ways.

"I don't have my phone with me." Betty said, gesturing to her side to signal her lack of purse. "We couldn't contact each other if one of us found it."

"Ok." Jughead said, nodding but relieved. "Let's start opening doors."

The first door they opened was a restroom, clearly stocked for guest use.

The second door was a bedroom. Jughead entered the room to see if maybe the room belonged to Jason. Judging by the lack of personal items, he assumed this must be a guest room.

They each opened another door, neither being Jason's room. Betty sighed.  _We are never going to find his room. We still have six doors in this hallway and at least two more floors to cover. Maybe we should just give up._

Betty looked over at Jughead, preparing to tell him her concerns.

Before she could speak, Jughead shook his head. Betty was confused for a moment and then she heard it. There was giggling coming up the stairs.

Jughead quickly opened the next door in the hallway, waving Betty through the door without bothering to look inside. Betty hopped in without glancing in it as well and Jughead followed, shutting the door behind himself.

The two of them were quickly greeted with an abundant lack of space and light.

_Of course._ Jughead thought sarcastically.  _Out of all of the rooms this could have been, we end up in a closet._

A tightly packed closet at that. Betty and Jughead had managed to make it so that they faced each other, barely a foot between them, surrounded by boxes and coats Jughead was sure no one had worn in years.

"Um, sorry." Jughead whispered, feeling more self conscious than ever. "I panicked."

"Don't worry." Betty whispered back. "So did I. Do you think we will have to be in here long?"

"I don't know." Jughead said, leaning towards the closet door.

The giggling in the hallway continued. Jughead cracked the door just slightly and peered out of it. There was a line of at least six girls standing outside the door to the bathroom they had just passed.

Jughead quietly shut the door and sighed.

"Looks like we will be in here for a little while." Jughead informed Betty. "No one wants to look for a second restroom."

Betty sighed. She found herself getting irritated.  _How am I supposed to get answers if I am stuck in a closet?_

"We will get out of here eventually." Jughead tried to reassure her, giving Betty the impression that he could read her mind. "It might 10 o'clock at night, but we will find Jason's room. And we might get to find out if the Blossoms sleep upside down."

Betty laughed louder than she intended to. Jughead covered her mouth instinctively.

When it became clear the giggling outside of the closet overpowered the laughter inside of it, Jughead took his hand off Betty's mouth. He immediately felt embarrassed.

"Sorry." Jughead said, shoving both his hands in his pockets and backing away from her to lean again the wall. After his latest reactions put them much closer together than usual, he was trying to put some space between them.

"It's ok." Betty told him. She had been startled by Jughead touching her face. The two of them have never really existed that close together before. Realizing that he was backing away from her, she stepped backwards, trying to back away from him as well.

But rather than the graceful backing into the wall Betty was attempting, Betty felt the ground behind her shift unnaturally. She had stepped on a high heel and it was tipping her forward.

Jughead reacted fairly quickly. He raised his arms, catching her and keeping Betty from collapsing to the ground. Betty reacted without thinking, placing her arms in front of her, bracing for the fall. Now though, thanks to Jughead's reflexes, her arms were pinned between herself and Jughead's chest.

The fall had not even lasted a minute, yet Betty felt her heart racing. She looked at Jughead and found herself having a hard time breathing.  _Amazing how tripping over a heel could affect you. Thank goodness Jughead was here to catch me, or else I might have fallen on my face. Jughead, whose lean frame was surprisingly strong. His hands surprisingly warm. The whole situation is surprisingly comforting._

Betty had to take a deep breath to sort out how all of this was making her feel.

Jughead wasn't doing much better. He didn't have the excuse of adrenaline for why his heart was beating so quickly. He and Betty were close. So close. Closer than he thought they had ever been in the entirety of their friendship. He could smell her shampoo, he could feel her shoulders rising and falling with every breath.

The whole situation made Jughead gulp, forcing him to take a deep breath along with Betty.

"This has actually been a fairly educational experience." Betty said with a laughing sigh.

_Educational?_

"How's that?" Jughead said, arching his eyebrow. Out of all the words he would use to describe this moment, educational was not on the list.

Betty blushed, hesitent to reveal her thoughts about their current predicament to Jughead. "I am not sure I should say."

"Betty, we are in a closet. It's not like anyone is going to judge you." Jughead told her, sure there was nothing that she could say that would surprise him.

"It's just," Betty started, focusing her gaze onto Jughead's tie rather than his face. "I spent so much time wondering how Archie and Veronica could have been so instantly drawn to make out in a closet."

Jughead's heart skipped a beat.  _Is she suggesting what he thinks she is suggesting?_

"It's so comforting." Betty continued, her thoughts practically spilling out. "It feels like everything outside of this room doesn't matter. You can just be honest with yourself about who you are and what you want and no one will judge you for it."

"Betty, why are you so worried about being judged?" Jughead asked. What could Betty possibly worry about people judging her for?

Jughead looked into his arms where Betty was still nestled. Her eyes were still focused on his tie. He was unsure why he was still holding her, but not being willing to let her go of his own free will.

"I'm afraid." Betty admitted. She had never been able to tell anyone before. Betty always hid her insecurities under pastels and a smile. But right now, in this closet with Jughead she didn't feel like she needed to hide.

"I am not perfect and I feel like when people realize that, they won't like me anymore. Or at least, they won't see me the way I want to be seen."

Jughead nodded, but he didn't understand. She was Betty Cooper for God's sake. She was everything that was good and right in Riverdale, maybe even the world. There is nothing that she could say or do that would make him see her differently.

"You just have to make them see you, Betts." Jughead told her, trying to move his head to look into her eyes. "And screw anyone who thinks any less of you for being human."

Betty looked up at him and smiled, but she didn't agree. Jughead didn't know about the things that were wrong with her. He might know more about her than anyone else in her life, but he has never seen the side of herself that she is afraid to show. He could never see that side of her.

"Jughead, aren't you afraid of being judged?" Betty asked of him, then second guessing herself. "Wait, no of course you are not."

_He's Jughead Jones. Self-proclaimed outsider who doesn't care what anyone says or thinks about him. How I wish I could be like that._

"Actually, I am afraid of being judged." Jughead said, the voice inside his head screaming against this revelation.

"Really?" Betty said, looking at him with surprise.

"Somewhat." Jughead continued. "It doesn't stop me from being myself, but there are things about me, my life that I worry about people judging or not understanding."

"Like what?" Betty asked, having no idea what these things could be.

Jughead sighed. Despite whatever magical effect this closet was having on them, he wasn't quite ready to unload that much emotional baggage at a moment's notice.

"Wait, no." Betty said, looking down to stare at her hands, balled up into fists on his chest. "I guess it is my turn."

Betty took a deep breath and lifted her head to look Jughead full in the face.

"Ask me something personal."

"Anything?" Jughead asked. He had a question in mind, but he wasn't sure he should. What if it is a step over the line?

"Yes." Betty said, suddenly afraid of what his question might be.

Jughead took a deep breath and closed his eyes. There was never gonna be a better time for this.

"Do you still have feelings for Archie?"

Betty looked into Jughead's eyes.

_Out of all of the questions he could have asked me…why this one?_

"You don't have answer." Jughead said, clearing his throat feeling it burn with instant regret. "I was just...wondering."

Betty took a deep breath. Ever since Veronica suggested that she could still have feelings for Archie, she had thought about it. There was a lot of pain in those thoughts, but after a lot of consideration Betty had come to a conclusion that made sense to her.

"I do."

Jughead nodded, his stomach dropping in the process.  _Of course she still has feelings for Archie. It has only been a few weeks since she told Archie she loved him. What exactly were you expecting to hear?_

Betty felt herself panicking. She hadn't meant to say the words with the finality that Jughead was clearly taking them as. He needed to understand.

"I still have feelings for Archie. But it is not the same as it was." Betty told him.

She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she needed to be completely honest with Jughead about this.  _Jughead needs to know how complicated this all is._

"He broke my heart, Jug. Things don't just snap back into place after that. You're not just over it, but you don't feel the same way you felt before." Betty explained, hoping it made sense to him "I don't want to be with Archie anymore, but I would be lying if I said there was nothing there."

Jughead nodded, not sure if her explanation should make him feel relieved or concerned.

Suddenly both of them laughed, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Um, that got intense." Betty said.

"Yeah." Jughead replied, still holding on to her.

"So my question." Betty began, prepared to move on from her.

"Yeah. What am I afraid of being judged for?" Jughead said, trying to figure out how to verbalize his thoughts without giving too much away.

"I've changed my mind." Betty said, unballing her fists and cradling them closer to her chest.

_Oh God._ Jughead thought. He was afraid of what she was going to ask in retaliation.  _Will I be able to answer her? I guess I'll have to be. She was completely honest with me, it is only fair._

"When I was telling you about losing Polly, you were about to say you could relate." Betty explained, thinking back to their conversation earlier in the week.

Jughead freezes but doesn't deny it.

"Jughead, where is your sister?" Betty asked.

Jughead gulped. "How did you…?"

"We've been friends forever. I remember the day Jellybean was born. You said 'the world made sense for the first time' which was pretty eloquent for a six year old."

Jughead smiled.  _I can't believe she remembers that._

"So when you stopped yourself from saying you could relate, I realized you haven't mentioned her in the past few weeks where we have seen each other practically everyday."

Jughead was taken aback. He was amazed at how much she had noticed him.

"Where's Jellybean?" Betty asked, locking her eyes on his. She hoped in doing this that he would be compelled to tell her the truth.

Taking a deep breath, Jughead decided to confide in her. He hadn't even told Archie about this.

"With my mom and grandparents in Toledo. My parents separated over six months ago."

"Juggie, I am so sorry." Betty said, feeling her heart break for him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"At first, I assumed the whole thing would blow over." Jughead explained, avoiding pointing out that what he was hoping would blow over is his dad's drinking. "Then Mom changed hers and Jellybean's address officially, so it became pretty clear she wasn't coming back anytime soon. By then Archie and I weren't friends anymore, so I couldn't talk to him or you."

Betty wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his chest.

"I can't believe you have been going through this all by yourself." she told him, rubbing his back with her hands. Somehow she was both comforting him and finding comfort in holding him.

Jughead wrapped his arms around his friend, amazed at how wonderful it felt. Not just to be hugged, although that was a whole different thing. He hadn't actually said these things out loud to someone besides his dad. He was just comforted by the fact that he wasn't alone anymore. That there was someone out there to share the burden of his thoughts with.

"Juggie, if you ever need to talk." Betty began, turning to look back up at him. "I don't care who are you mad at or sad at. Even if it is me, please talk to me."

"Ok." Jughead agreed, nodding. Not sure there would ever be a reason for him to be mad at her, so it was easy enough to agree to.

Betty smiled and rested her head back on Jughead's chest.

They stood there for a few moments in silence. Just hugging. Neither of them making an attempt to leave.

But then they realized it was silent. The giggling had stopped outside the closet door.

_How long that had been the case?_

Jughead looked at Betty and reluctantly pulled away from her to open the door.

Jughead peeked out the door to find a completely empty hallway.

"Coast is clear." he told her, motioning for her to exit.

Betty nodded as the two of them stepped out of the closet.

Betty looked at Jughead, who went to open the door next to the closet they had been in.

They had found Jason's room, mere feet away from where they had just been. They stepped into the room, the icy chill within it shaking away the pleasantness of moments ago.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of Episode 1x05. Post Betty confronting her father about the engagement

Jughead was internally freaking out. He felt as though in the last few hours, all that was left of his patience had disappeared. 

Yesterday, he and Betty had gone to Jason Blossom's house to try to find something connected to the way he died. Instead, Grandma Blossom had taken a couple years off their lives and left them with more questions than answers.

It had been a very lucrative outing, investigation wise. They had learned that Betty's sister Polly was engaged to Jason Blossom. Jughead knew that was the factor he should be obsessing over; it was the kind of twist most authors would kill for. But he wasn't thinking about Jason or Polly. He was obsessing over the fact that he hadn't spoken to Betty since the discovery of the engagement.

It wasn't as though he hadn't tried. He texted, emailed, even activated a couple social media accounts to see if she had posted anything. Nothing. It was like she had fallen off the grid.

Jughead knew he shouldn't be too worried, she was just talking to her parents. While Betty's mom had an aura of madness like no other, Betty was probably not in any danger. Jughead knew this, but he was still worried about her. Betty had wanted to confront her dad about the engagement and she wanted to do it without him there. He understood it at the time but now that it has been hours of waiting, his anxiety was reaching new levels.

Jughead had fallen asleep around 3 am in the janitor's closet, clutching his phone, hoping it would ring. He woke up three hours later to his alarm going off. No messages.

_I can't stand this._ Jughead thought.  _I can't just keep on waiting. I will lose my mind._

_If I haven't heard from her by the time I've showered, I am camping out on the front steps of the Cooper house until I talk to her._

After he showered and changed, he decided to go into the Blue and Gold offices to grab a book to read on Betty's doorstep. He had turned the corner into the office when he ran into Betty herself. He literally bumped into her, knocking her cell phone out of her hand.

Relief flooded through Jughead as he reached out to grab Betty's phone from the ground.

"Hey." Jughead said, his heart feeling as though it were beating for the first time in hours.

He extended her phone out to her.

"Hi." Betty said, reaching out for her phone, her voice sounding smaller than usual.

"What's going on? I have been trying to get ahold of you for hours." Jughead asked, standing back up and hoping his voice didn't sound as frantic as he thought he did.

"I know. My dad took my phone for the night. I just got it back." Betty told him. "We got in a fight, about Polly."

"Is everything ok?" he asked, concerned. He wanted to wrap his arms around her again, like in the closet but he knew this wasn't the moment for that.

"No." Betty shook her head. "My dad knew Juggie. He knew that Polly and Jason were engaged. And he hated them for it. He hated Jason for it."

Jughead leaned back against a desk, folding his arms across him.

"He knew?" Jughead questioned, suddenly suspicious.

_If Betty's dad knew about Jason and Polly's engagement, then he was probably furious. The Coopers and the Blossoms had a long history of hating each other. Hal Cooper would not have been thrilled that his daughter wanted to be with a Blossom._

"My dad said he would do anything to stop my sister from being 'taken' by the Blossoms. They sent her away and they lied to me about why it happened. They told me that he hurt her."

Jughead didn't know what to say. He already knew that Hal Cooper was acting suspiciously before the discovery of the engagement, but had chosen to overlook that fact for Betty's sake. But Jughead couldn't ignore her father's potential involvement in Jason's murder anymore. And he knew Betty couldn't ignore it either.

"Juggie, I don't even feel like I know who my mom and dad are anymore."

He couldn't remain silent any longer.

"Betty, if your parents lied about Jason and Polly, there's probably more that they lied about."

"What do you mean?" Betty asked.

"Your dad said he would do anything to protect Polly. So the next logical question is how far would he go?"

_Would Hal Cooper murder a teenage boy just to keep him away from his daughter? If so, would Alice Cooper have helped him? There's no way if Hal killed Jason that Alice didn't know about it. Hell, Alice probably fantasized about it before going to bed at night._

Jughead wrote 'The Coopers' down on a notecard, handing it to Betty.

After acknowledging that her dad wasn't at the drive in the night Sheriff Keller's evidence was stolen, she tacked her family's name to the murder board.

"We need to talk to Polly." Jughead told her, hoping this wasn't putting too much pressure on her.

"Jughead, I wish I could but I don't know where she is." Betty says walking away from the murder board to sit down.

"Maybe we could figure it out ourselves." Jughead suggested, taking a seat at his desk.

"How?" Betty asks him, continuing to pace in front of his desk.

"I don't know." Jughead answered honestly. "But we will figure it out, Betts. I promise."

Betty sighed, but looked as though she believed him.

"Maybe I could skip school the next time your mother plans to visit Polly and tail her." Jughead suggested, although he didn't have a car nor was he certain that Mrs. Cooper wouldn't devour his soul if she caught him.

"There's no guarantee she is telling me the truth when she says she is going to visit Polly." Betty points out.

"True." Jughead conceded, flooding with relief that he wouldn't have to follow Betty's mom around.

Suddenly, one of their cell phones started ringing.

Jughead's phone still only had Betty's phone number in it so he didn't even bother to look at his phone.

Betty glanced at hers and suddenly looked ill at ease. She pressed the accept button and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hi, Mom." Betty said, her voice becoming higher and more stressed sounding instantly. "I left you a note. I am working on the Blue and Gold layout."

There was a response from Mrs. Cooper that Jughead couldn't understand.

"I know it is early in the morning, but we have a lot to do."

Mrs. Cooper responded again.

"Jughead and I."

An annoyed sounding response happened this time. Jughead smiled at this. Mrs. Cooper would not be thrilled at her daughter's choice of company and Jughead was beyond caring what she thought of him. At least that is what he told himself. He got up and walked around his desk.

"You've met Jughead, Mom. I will be home later tonight. I promise I will drop off the check to the church on the way home." Betty said, saying goodbye to her mother and hanging up.

"Check?" Jughead asked, not bothering to pretend he wasn't listening to the phone call.

"My mother wanted to donate to the nursery of our church." Betty said. "Why?"

"Does your mother write checks often?" Jughead asked, the gears in his brain turning.

"Yes. There is not a thing my mother is involved with that doesn't...wait! Juggie!" Betty said, stopping in front of him.

Jughead hopped out of his chair too, knowing Betty had reached the same conclusion he had.

"My mom is probably paying the people who are keeping Polly!"

"Exactly. All we have to do is hack into your mom's online banking account and see who she has been writing checks to." Jughead says, grabbing his laptop out of backpack, preparing to start guessing passwords.

"That won't work." Betty replied, sounding disappointed.

Jughead looked at her. "Why not?"

"My mom doesn't believe in online banking. She does everything with pens and checkbooks." Betty sighs.

_Mrs. Cooper would be the type to not trust modern technology._ Jughead thought bitterly.

"So we have to get her checkbook." Jughead stated.

"Easier said than done." Betty replied, exasperated. "She keeps her purse glued to her side. When she goes to bed at night, she locks it in the bedroom safe."

_We lead such different lives._ Jughead realized, almost bemusedly.

"Is there any point where you have access to the checkbook and can distract your mother?" Jughead asked, already knowing the answer.

_Like there is a way to distract Mrs. Cooper._

"Not by myself, no. But maybe with your help." Betty said, a smile cracking across her face.

"I don't follow." Jughead replied, already starting to feel worried.

"Do you have plans for dinner?" Betty asked him, a cheery sound in her voice.

"Unfortunately yes." Jughead said, regretting not being about to spend the evening with her. "I told Archie I would hang out with him tonight. Grab one of those burgers he owes me."

"Will he ever stop owing you?" Betty asked, smiling at him.

Jughead had to think about this. He was in no hurry to call it even; Archie treating him to dinner was one less meal he had to worry about. Jughead knew this couldn't last though. He and Archie couldn't exist as both friends and not friends for too much longer. Jughead had forgiven Archie weeks ago for being a terrible friend to him over the summer, so they must be friends. And if they were friends, Jughead needed to tell him about his living situation and about his feelings for Betty.

Jughead shuddered at the thought of doing so. Everything was so new right now. And he hadn't decided what his next move was with either situation.

_Perhaps it will take a few more burgers before I am ready for that conversation._

"Maybe." Jughead told her, avoiding spilling his thought process to her.

Betty sat there for a moment, as though she were trying to think of an alternative solution.

"How about breakfast tomorrow?" Betty asked, her voice sounding less hopeful than before.

_Breakfast?_ Jughead thought, his stomach longing for any kind of breakfast food.

"I think I could make time for breakfast." Jughead joked, knowing that this would be about more than just a good meal for him.

"Great. I have a plan, Juggie."

Jughead didn't even need to hear the plan to know he was already in too deep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Between Episodes 1x05 and 1x06. Betty and Jughead spending time with Veronica and Archie

**Betty: Is there any other variable we need to go over? Some aspect of the plan we are not considering?**

**Jughead: It is a pretty straight forward plan. I distract your mother, you go into her purse and take pictures of her checkbook. Not exactly the Invasion of Normandy.**

**Betty: I know. I am just nervous. If we get caught, we will never be able to find Polly.**

**Jughead: You have nothing to worry about. I will do whatever it takes to keep your mother away from you.**

**Betty: Where are you on an hour to hour basis? Lol.**

**Jughead: Lol. Everything is going to be alright, Betts.**

**Betty: I hope so. I don't know how we are going to make this plan work. There are so many things that could go wrong.**

"Hey Jug? Have you heard a word I've said over the past 10 minutes?" Archie asked Jughead.

The two of them were at a booth at Pop's. Archie had just been discussing his latest song. Or his latest football play. Jughead honestly had no idea; he had been completely distracted by his text message conversation with Betty.

_This is getting out of hand._ Jughead thought to himself.  _Ignoring your friends to pay attention to a girl is Archie's thing. And yet here I am, lost in thought and distracted by words on a screen from a girl. Distracted by Betty when I am supposed to be above all that._

_After chastising Archie for all those years for being girl-crazy, maybe an unrequited crush is what I deserve._

"Yeah, dude. Sorry." Jughead said, stashing his phone in his coat pocket. "I was listening. Not to every word, but I did hear some of them."

Archie looked confused, probably trying to figure out how Jughead could listening to him without completely understanding.

"Do you want to call it a night or…?" Archie asked, trying to give Jughead an out.

"No." Jughead said, sitting up straighter and grabbing a fry. "I have just been working on this project with Betty and got a little too focused on it."

_Too focused on her._ Jughead thought, berating himself and his own thoughts. He was completely enamored with Betty. Normally he would try to deny it, even to himself, but it was taking everything he had not to pull out his phone and make sure she hadn't messaged him again.

Archie smiled and grabbed a fry from the plate as well.

"No, it's cool Jug. I just don't want to bore you with music or football talk. I know you aren't really that into either thing." Archie said, taking a sip of his milkshake.

It was still so foreign to both of them. This awkwardness in their friendship. Neither of them had ever worried about borthering the other in the past. But things were different now. Their falling out had left its scars. They could both see that. Both of them were treading more carefully than in the past.

Jughead for one was tired of it. If they had a chance of being friends again, they had to get back to the way things used to be. And that including paying attention to the things the other might not care about.

"I'm not bored. Totally interested." Jughead assured him, leaning in to pay closer attention. "So which one were you talking about earlier?"

Archie chuckled. "My new song. Well, I have been working on a song with Valerie so I guess it is  _our_ new song."

Jughead noticed the way that Archie's eyes lit up when he mentioned the Pussycat.

"Really? You and Valerie Brown?" Jughead said, leaning back in the booth, shoving a couple more fries into his mouth.

"It's about the music." Archie tried to explain.

"Is it though?" Jughead joked. No matter what Archie said, Jughead could see that it wasn't just about the music. Between Archie and a beautiful girl, there is always a romantic factor.

"Ok, maybe it is not all about the music." Archie admitted, looking from side to side as though he hoped not to be heard. "I definitely like her. She's cute and talented, but...hey wait. "

Archie looked at Jughead skeptically.

" _You_  want to talk about this?"

"Sure, why not?" Jughead asked, grabbing a bite of Archie's onion rings.

"Because we have been friends our entire lives and you have never wanted to talk about girls." Archie pointed out.

Jughead scoffed. "I am sure at least two thirds of our conversations have been about girls."

It's true. Since the day Midge Klump kissed Archie on the playground in 3rd grade, Archie had brought girls into nearly every conversation they had.

"Well yeah, but because I brought it up." Archie admitted, looking embarrassed "And I forced you to talk about it."

Jughead sat there for a moment. Archie was right. In the history of their years long friendship, never once has Jughead brought up the topic of girls. Although with a friend like Archie, it wasn't as if Jughead could have avoided the topic of discussion. Now Jughead found himself not only bringing up the conversation, but wishing he could contribute his own thoughts to it.

_Archie would never understand. He has never had any problem getting a girl's attention or knowing what to do once he started liking a girl. Not to mention, this is Betty. She will always be in some way, shape, or form Archie's girl. Won't she?_

Instead of voicing his thoughts, Jughead shook his head and took a sip of his coffee.

"Well, maybe I am growing as a person. People do that. Or so I have heard." Jughead said in his usual sardonic manner.

Archie laughed.

"Well alright, Jug. But if there was ever a girl or someone you wanted to talk about…"

The bell signaling a new visitor to Pop's had rang. A couple of River Vixens, wearing their uniforms despite no practices or game to wear them for had walked in and Archie was too distracted to finish his thought.

* * *

Betty stared at her phone. She was hanging out with Veronica in her living room at the Pembrooke, but Betty wasn't exactly focusing on her friend. It had been about ten minutes since she had sent her last text message to Jughead and he hadn't responded. She knew he was out with Archie which is probably why he hadn't responded, but it still bothered her. It wasn't like she needed him to respond immediately, but she was worried about her sister and it seemed like Jughead was the only person who understood. He was the only one who could reassure her that everything was going to be ok that Betty actually believed.

"Hey B, what do you want to do for dinner?" Veronica asked, moving to sit on the edge of the couch Betty was currently on. "I was thinking we could order in. All the burgers and milkshakes from Pop's are making me crave greens."

"Um, what?" Betty asked, looking up from her phone for the first time in awhile.

"Dinner? What would you like?" Veronica repeated, sounding annoyed.

"Oh, I don't know." Betty said, her gaze drifting back to her phone. "Maybe we could go to Pop's"

Veronica shook her head impatiently. "Focus. I was hoping we could go with somewhere besides Pop's."

Betty nodded, but wasn't listening.

"That sounds fine." she responded.

"Great. So do you think we should go Chinese or just order some salads from the hotel?" Veronica asked, pulling out some menus from a drawer.

"What?" Betty asked, focusing on Veronica and realizing she had no idea what Veronica had just asked. "I'm sorry V, I am just distracted."

Veronica took a deep breath of frustration before sitting back down on the couch.

"What's going on B? You've been attached to your phone all day. I know your dad took it away from you, but honestly who could you be waiting to hear from?" Veronica snarked, clearly annoyed by Betty's behavior.

Betty blushed.  _Why am I blushing? It's nothing to be embarrassed about._

"Oh. You are waiting on a text from a boy. You never did tell me how your date with Trev went." Veronica gushed, scooting closer and smiling at Betty.

"It was not a date." Betty said, frustration apparent in her voice.

"Oh." Veronica replied, sounding disappointed "That bad?"

Betty shook her head. She was surprised that her and Veronica hadn't talked about this yet. Since moving to Riverdale, it seems that she and Veronica shared everything. Betty took a minute to think about it, then realized the only person she had actually told about the date was Jughead. How strange was that?

"He was a nice guy. But we didn't…there was nothing..." Betty began, trying to find the words to describe how badly the date had gone. It seemed like the story was much easier to tell the first time with Jughead.

"No sparks?" Veronica suggested.

"Not just that." Betty told her. "We had nothing in common."

"That's not always a bad thing. Opposites attract, after all." Veronica provided, sounding as though she had experience in this area.

"Not this opposite." Betty assured her."We couldn't even have a basic conversation after I asked him about Jason."

"Are you sure the topic of Jason wasn't just a buzz kill?" Veronica asked.

_That's a fair question. Murder doesn't exactly scream romance._ _But I know it wasn't just about the way the night started._

"Yes!" Betty enthused, hoping that Veronica would understand soon. "He doesn't like TV or books or music. What would be ever talk about?"

"How adorable you find each other." Veronica mused.

Betty rolled her eyes.  _Why was it so hard for Veronica to understand why things didn't work out with Trev? She should know by now that I need more than just a pretty face sitting on the other side of the booth at Pop's._

" _That_  wouldn't get old quickly." Betty snarked at her, checking her phone again.

Veronica laughed.

"You know, you kind of sounded like Jughead just then."

"Did I?" Betty asked, not realizing it at first. That definitely sounded like something Jughead would say or at least think. Not that she hadn't had those thoughts in the past herself, but it was only recently that Betty felt comfortable vocalizing her dislike of things. Jughead had helped her become more comfortable with not being the eternal optimist.

"Well, we have been spending a lot of time together lately. Maybe we are becoming more similar than we used to be."

"Hopefully not too similar. One sullen, xenophobic writer is enough for our friend group."

Betty immediately felt defensive.

"Jughead is not xenophobic. He is just...a guy with a few close friends. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, B. Relax, I was only kidding. Every friend group needs an oddball."

This statement also struck a nerve with Betty.

"Jughead is just not afraid to be himself. Why does that make him odd?"

"It doesn't, I guess." Veronica said, sounding as though she were afraid to say anything else.

Betty sighed. She knew she was being unfair to Veronica. She didn't really even know Jughead honestly.

"I'm sorry, V. It's just, I hate when people judge Jughead. He is probably one of the best people in Riverdale and all people seem to want to do is dismiss him. And he doesn't deserve it."

Veronica looked sympathetically as she reached out for Betty's hand.

"I didn't think about it. I guess I don't really know him."

"No one does." Betty explained.

_No one but me._

"I'm so sorry, Veronica. You invited me over and all I have done is stare at my phone and berate you for having an opinion."

Betty clasped Veronica's hand, hoping Veronica would forgive her for being a bad friend.

"The problem with our generation is we are so obsessed with social media that we have forgotten how to be social in normal situations. Don't worry about it, B. I am sure we have years of ignoring each other for text messages ahead of us."

Betty smiled at her. How lucky she was to have found a good friend in Veronica.

"Well, I am starving. So salads or Chinese food?" Veronica asked, pulling her hand away.

"Chinese." Betty replied instantly, wanting to make more of an effort now.

"Will do." Veronica said, getting up to get the menus.

Betty's text message tone rang. She considered not answering it yet, but since Veronica was busy with the menus, Betty decided it was ok to check it.

**Jughead: Hey. Sorry for not texting back immediately. Are you feeling any better about tomorrow morning?**

**Betty: I am still worried, but I guess I should just trust in our plan and let that be enough. Are you sure you want to help?**

**Jughead: Of course. I will always be there when you need me.**

**Betty: I know that Juggie. Thanks. Gtg, hanging with V.**

**Jughead: TTYL**


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x06: Betty and Jughead finish breakfast with Alice

Betty couldn't believe how well the plan worked. Jughead successfully distracted her mother and she got copies of all of her checks from the past month. One of them was bound to lead them to Polly.

Once Jughead had returned downstairs looking worse for wear, Betty hopped right out of the chair she had just returned to.

"Well Mom, Jughead and I have to get to school to finish the layout before going to print."

"But…" her mother started, but Betty had already grabbed Jughead by the arm and started out the door.

"I will talk you after school." Betty shouted as she walked out the door.

Betty couldn't stop smiling as she and Jughead walked down the stairs in front of her house. Neither of them willing to say anything yet, in case Betty's mom decided to listen.

They made it around the corner from her house before either of them spoke.

"You got it?" Jughead asked, grinning almost as widely as she was.

"Yes. I got a ton of pictures." Betty said, practically shouting. "I figured we could head straight to the Blue and Gold and go through them, see if any of them could hint at where Polly is."

"I am glad it was worth it. I am pretty sure your mom thinks I was casing the place." Jughead told her.

"What?" Betty asked, some of the joy in her voice leaving "Casing the place?"

"Yeah. She walked into the bathroom first, took quick glance around, waited for me to leave, then went back in to look around." Jughead explained.

"Oh." Betty replied. She hadn't considered that. "I am sorry, Jug."

"Can't say that is the first time it has happened to me." Jughead admitted. "It isn't even the first time with your parents."

Betty felt horrible. Jughead was assuming she used him as a distraction because he was a loner who would scare her parents. She couldn't let him think that. It wasn't true and she didn't want him to think she thought that of him.

"That is not at all why I thought she would follow you." Betty told him.

"It's not?" Jughead asked, looking relieved.

"No." Betty responded simply.

"What did you think it would be?" Jughead asked. "How did you know she would volunteer to show me?"

"Because I said I would." Betty told him. "And she wouldn't want that."

Jughead wore a look of confusion. He didn't understand how Betty could know her mother's reaction.

"It's because you're a guy." Betty stated, not thinking too much of it. "Mom wouldn't want me to be alone with you upstairs."

"Wait." Jughead said, stopping walking. "You thought your mom would assume we were…"

Jughead motioned between the two of them.

Betty nodded.

"And she was checking the bathroom...?"

"In case I found a way to sneak out of the dining room to meet you in there." Betty told him, suddenly embarrassed.

When the plan first occurred to Betty, it seemed like a no brainer. Her mother would never let her be alone with a guy. The only exception to that rule was Kevin and it took her mother years to get to the point where she believed Kevin wasn't secretly interested in her.

And it worked. It worked out exactly as Betty had hoped it would.

"That's difficult to believe." Jughead pointed out. "That your mother would think that about us."

"Never underestimate my mother's paranoia." Betty stated. If Alice Cooper was anything, she was paranoid and thorough.

"But if you mother even knew you, she would realize that you would never go for someone like me." Jughead speculated.

"What does that mean?" Betty asked, feeling annoyed and wondering what he meant by that.

Jughead looked at her surprised. He clearly didn't expect that type of response.

"It doesn't mean anything." Jughead told her, now staring very determinedly at his shoes.

Betty could almost hear all the words Jughead wasn't saying in his head. However, she decided not to ask him any more about it as they walked further down the street, the school only a couple more blocks away.

_Someone like Jughead? What could he mean by that? Someone who was smart and kind and considerate. Someone who would do anything for his friends or in order to seek out the truth. Someone who looks incredibly cute in a suit. Why wouldn't I be interested in someone like him?_

"Never say never." Betty told him, her eyes focusing straight ahead.

Betty could see Jughead swallow hard out of the corner of her eye, but she kept looking forward. They had just reached the front of the school.

Betty wasn't really sure what to think in that moment. Reassuring Jughead that her mother had every right to assume she would be interested him was not part of the plan. But here they were, in front of the school, very aware of how uncomfortable things had become.

"Come on, we gotta get to the Blue and Gold offices, before the bell rings." Betty said, picking up the pace, hoping to leave this discussion outside of the school.

She heard Jughead shuffling behind her, but didn't want to look in case she was still blushing.

* * *

A couple hours later, Betty and Jughead were in the offices of the Blue and Gold going check by check hoping to find just the slightest hint of where the Coopers sent Polly.

"The Sisters of Quiet Mercy?" Betty asked, zooming in on the next check. "What is that? A church? A charity?"

Jughead typed The Sisters of Quiet Mercy into the search engine, but the results were not that of a church.

"No. It's a home for troubled youths. Where disenfranchised teens will learn such virtues as discipline and respect. Enjoy lives of quiet reflection and servitude."

_Well that sounds like hell._ Jughead thought to himself.

"Poor Polly." Betty stated.

_Apparently Betts is thinking along the same lines._

Jughead looks over at her, not realizing how close she had been standing to him and without her cardigan on to boot.

Jughead clears his throat, not prepared to be this close to her.

"This definitely sounds like the place." He explained, moving away from his chair and laptop.

"Yeah, but it is not like we can just go there." Betty told him, sitting in his vacant seat. "According to the website, the Home is in Greendale."

"Greendale is not that far away." Jughead tried to reassure her. "45 minutes without traffic."

"Yeah, but neither of us have a car, so it is not like that makes it any easier." Betty said, sighing in frustration.

Betty closed Jughead's laptop in a huff and walked over to her desk. She threw her head into her hands and sighed.

"Finding out where she is was supposed to make this whole process easier. How am I supposed to get to Greendale? How am I supposed to save her?"

Betty's voice cracks at the end of the last sentence.

Jughead sighed internally and walked over to her desk.

"We will find a way." Jughead reassured her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

_What am I doing?_ Jughead asked himself. He is trying to comfort his friend who is dealing with the possibility of talking to an alleged crazy sister. She is going through all of this and Jughead can't stop thinking about how much of a spark he felt when his hands touched her bare shoulders.

Betty raised her head up to look up at him. Her eyes are not filled with tears, but what he thinks is curiosity.

Just before he can ask any questions or think of anything to say, there is a knock at the door.

Principal Weatherbee stood in the doorway, looking annoyed.

"Mr. Jones, Ms. Cooper. Your scheduled period for the Blue and Gold is over now. It is time you get on to your next class." he told them, all authority.

Jughead released Betty's shoulders and turned to face him.

"We have lunch right now, Mr. Weatherbee. Betty and I were planning to work through lunch." Jughead tried to explain.

"I suggest you go to lunch instead. Leave the hard hitting journalism for your allotted time after school."

"Of course, sir. We were just leaving." Betty told him, grabbing her cardigan from the back of her chair and rushing out of the room.

Jughead, confusedly, grabbed his books and computer and followed her out the door.

He waited a few minutes after they vacated the room to say anything.

"What was that all about?" Jughead asked, turning behind him to make sure the principal wasn't there.

"I don't know. Sometimes Weatherbee just gets...particular about how things are done." Betty explained

"You mean he gets a bug up his ass?" Jughead joked

Betty giggled. "I guess so. But trust me, it is better to just leave the room, avoid the argument."

Jughead looked at her curiously. What would Betty know about arguing with the Principal?

Jughead walked over to his locker to grab the bag of chips he has stowed in there for his lunch break. He's been cutting corners since losing his job at the drive in and unfortunately his food budget is becoming increasingly smaller. He knew he was running out of time and money. He couldn't keep going it alone. He would have to talk to someone. But he couldn't make himself talk to Archie or his dad. Neither of them knew how bad things were getting for him and Jughead still wasn't ready for them to know. Although, a few more weeks of eating chips for every meal might weaken his resolve.

"Kind of small portions for Jughead Jones." Betty teased, grabbing her own lunch box from her locker across the hall.

"What can I say, I gotta prepare for swimsuit season." Jughead joked, trying to walk away and move past his paltry lunch.

"It's September." Betty reminded him, joining him as they walked outside to their lunch table.

"You underestimate how desperately I need to prepare." he quipped, eliciting another giggle from her.

He hated how much he enjoyed making her happy. This crush was getting out of hand. He could see himself doing literally anything she asked him to do and all he would ask in return is just to have her stick around and laugh. He was totally smitten.

The two of them starting walking towards the table where Archie was already sitting with Valerie, when Jughead had an epiphany and stopped Betty in her tracks.

"Betts, there is a bus that goes to Greendale. I mean, it will definitely take at least a couple hours to get there via bus, but you could probably get fairly close to the place."

Betty's face lit up.

"Juggie, that is brilliant." she exclaimed, beaming beyond recognition.

Betty pulled out her phone and started furiously typing. Seconds later, she had results on her screen.

"There is a daily bus that goes from here to Greendale." Betty reads off her findings "In fact, it seems there is a stop directly in front of the Home!"

"That's convenient." Jughead told her as the two of them start walking again. "When does the bus run?"

"It looks it runs at either 7 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon. There is a 5 pm on Sundays, but I doubt a place called 'Sisters of Quiet Mercy has Sunday visiting hours." Betty says, immersed in her phone.

"Well it looks like you are going have a fairly eventful Saturday morning." Jughead said

"Why Saturday morning?" Betty asked

Jughead clears his throat.

"Because tomorrow, we have school. Saturday night is the variety show, and I know how much you are looking forward to watching Dilton Doiley sniff for squirrels on stage." Jughead explained.

"I can't wait that long, Jug." Betty told him, stopping and putting her arm on his shoulder. "I have to go as soon as possible."

"Ok." Jughead agreed, not sure what he was agreeing to.

"Ok. So I am booking the earliest bus. Two for tomorrow morning." Betty dropprf her arm from his shoulder and begins furiously typing again.

"Two?" Jughead asked her.

"You're coming with me." Betty said, as if it were just common sense that he would be attending.

Jughead was taken aback.

"Unless you don't want to skip school or something." Betty started, looking a bit concerned that she assumed too much. "I don't want to make you do anything…"

"No worries." he assured her "I am sure my reputation can withstand a day away from these hallowed halls."

Betty smiles and pulls out her wallet with credit card.

"How much are the tickets?" he asked, knowing no matter what the price was he couldn't afford to pay her back.

"This is on me, Jug." Betty said, staring at her phone, not noticing how uncomfortable Jughead looked.

"Betty, I…" Jughead began, unsure how he would finish the sentence. He wouldn't tell her about his money troubles, but he also didn't want her to view him as a charity case.

But he doesn't get the chance to try to convince her.

"I need to see my sister, but we are also going there as journalists looking for answers." she grabbed his hand, looking as though she was about to plead "You have to be there and I owe you for being there for me through all of this. A bus ticket is the least I can do."

_She thinks she owes me?_

"You don't owe me anything, Betts." Jughead replied. "You never could."

Betty smiled at him and he knew there was no convincing her. Once she made up her mind, there was little chance of changing it.

Betty finished typing on her phone and slipped it into her pocket.

"Ok. We have two tickets for tomorrow morning." Betty beamed, walking towards their picnic table.

"Seems pretty straight forward." Jughead said, crouching in his normal position at their lunch table, opening his bag of chips to devour.

Betty sat down, still smiling and began assembling her lunch.

"So about tomorrow," Jughead started, but hesitated.  _Do I really wanna go there?_ He thinks to himself but decides to ask anyway.

Betty glanced over at Archie, looking nervous.

_Ok, she clearly doesn't want him to know what we are doing. Considering I am trying to warn her about the possibility of her sister actually being crazy, maybe speaking in code wasn't such a bad idea._

"It can be really emotionally trying."

Betty nodded.

"I appreciate your concern, Jug. I really do. But I can handle it."

"I don't doubt it." Jughead told her. "Are you sure you are ready for it?"

"I'm not sure what I am going to find when we get there, but I am ready. I am ready to finally know what is going on."

Jughead was glad his question didn't deter her from her happy thoughts.

"It's been months. There's gotta be a reason my parents don't want me to see Polly. But I don't care anymore…" Betty began, her not being aware how entranced Jughead was just from her talking to him.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x06: Jughead waits at the bus stop for Betty

It was 6:30 in the morning and Jughead was waiting at the bus stop where he and Betty had agreed to meet.

_Of course the bus to Greendale would have its Riverdale stop be in front of the Sheriff's Station._  Jughead begrudgingly thought as a yawn escaped.

Jughead wasn't too worried about the police in general. Despite his father's connection to the Serpents, Jughead kept himself out of it and it seemed like the police never gave him any hassle. Sheriff Keller never treated Jughead any differently than any of the other teens he interacted with and Jughead respected him for that.

Jughead knew a 15 year old sitting at a bus stop at 6:30 in the morning on a school day would not exactly be easy to explain.

He knew this but he also realized there was nothing he could really do to hide. He decided to just embrace it and grabbed a book out of his pocket and started reading.

It had barely been 10 minutes when Jughead heard footsteps.

Jughead felt his heart leap a bit, assuming the steps belonged to Betty, but when he looked up, he wasn't greeted with pastels and ponytails.

Instead, he was face to face with the Sheriff's son who was wearing work out attire.

"Hey, Jughead?" Kevin questioned, pulling earbuds out of his ears. "What are you doing here?"

_Nothing much. Just on a mission to save the sister of the girl I have feelings for. Typical teenage stuff._

"I could ask the same of you." Jughead deflected, not ready to give Kevin an actual answer.

"I always go in with my dad in the mornings, get an early run before I have to get ready for school." Kevin said in a way that implied he was bragging.

"Ok." Jughead said, not really sure how one is supposed to respond to that. "That's good."

"It's no big deal." Kevin said, waving his hand. "Just doing my best to stay in shape and oh my God you totally distracted me with me!"

Jughead could barely hold in the laughter.

"In my defense, it wasn't that difficult." Jughead stated in his usual sardonic manner

Kevin smiled, slinging his earbuds around his neck. "I am just gonna ask again, what are you doing here Jughead?"

Jughead sighed.  _I have to tell him something_.

"I'm investigating a lead." Jughead replied, deciding mild honesty was the best route. "Can't say too much, in case it ends up being a good or bad lead."

Kevin's eyes lit up at the mention of investigation.

"Are you on your way to the lead?" Kevin asked, his voice getting more excited as he sat down next to Jughead on the bus bench.

"Not yet, obviously. But soon." Jughead told him, scooting as far away from Kevin as the bus bench would allow. It was nothing against Kevin, Jughead just liked his personal space. 

"That is so cool." Kevin gushed, clearly more intrigued by the investigation that Jughead had realized.

"I guess it is." Jughead responded.

"You guess? Come on, you can't tell me you have never wanted to scope out a lead?" Kevin teased, nudging him.

Jughead smiled. As much as Jughead tried to tell himself that he was only doing all of this to seek out answers, he had to admit having clandestine meetings and seeking out informants made him feel like a detective in an old novel.

"Maybe a little bit." Jughead admitted, not wanting to give Kevin too much credit.

"So..." Kevin started, probably sensing the change in Jughead's mood from surly to interested "does Betty know you are doing some early morning investigating?"

_Ah, so that explains Kevin's interest in the matter. He wasn't interested in Jason's killer. He was interested in my love life._

_Ugh, I have a love life. A sad one, but unfortunately it exists._

"Yes." Jughead told him, hoping the finality he put in his voice would be enough to deter Kevin. They hadn't talked about Kevin knowing Jughead had a crush on Betty since the initial conversation, but he knew that Kevin would seize any opportunity to talk about it.

Of course, when gossip was involved, there was no deterring Kevin.

"Is she going to be joining you?" he asked, sounding more excited.

Jughead didn't say anything, not wanting to give Betty away. This was as good as admission to Kevin.

"Romantic Roadtrip Investigation!" Kevin exclaimed way louder than he should on the quiet streets of Riverdale.

Jughead had to practically hold Kevin down to keep him from literally leaping for joy.

"It is not romantic, Kevin." Jughead snarked, irritably.  _Just because Kevin was right about my feelings for Betty, it doesn't mean he has to be so happy and boastful about it._

Kevin seemed to calm himself down a little.

"But it probably could be if you told her how you feel." Kevin pointed out, his voice now more serious.

Jughead scoffed.  _Yeah, that will work. I'll just tell her I like her then we'll stare adoringly into each others' eyes before meeting up with her possibly crazed sister. Although Kevin does not know that part of the story and he would probably still think the staring were a possibility if he did. Kevin has always been painfully optimistic._

"Hey, I am just saying," Kevin started, raising his hands as though he were surrendering "The two of you spend a lot of time together. It is painfully obvious that you like her. Just tell her!"

"I'm not gonna do that, Kev." Jughead snarked, getting up off the bench to give himself a little distance from Kevin. He found himself both hating Kevin for bringing this up and desperate to take Kevin's advice which made him hate Kevin more.

"Why not?" Kevin almost whined, getting up to follow him.

"Kevin…" Jughead started, taking a deep breath but not sure what to say in retaliation.

"Come on, Jughead. Give me a real reason why you don't wanna tell Betty you like her. It's obvious you do and she could feel the same." Kevin reasoned

" _Could_  being the operative word." Jughead told Kevin over his shoulder, then hating himself for responding.

"Could is better than some people have. You might have a chance." Kevin told him, stepping closer.

"But she probably doesn't" Jughead told him. "And she probably never could."

Before Jughead knew it, Kevin had moved to be standing in front of him, looking almost angry.

"Don't you dare underestimate Betty Cooper." Kevin told him, his tone nearly hostile.

"I would never do that." Jughead snarked back.

"She is one of the best people in this town, maybe even the world." Kevin told him, clenching his fist.

"You don't think  _I_ know that?" Jughead said, finding himself almost yelling at Kevin. "You think I, of all people, haven't realized how lucky I am just to be friends with her? Lucky she allows me to stand beside her in all her strength and goodness? Lucky that she cares about me in any capacity?"

Kevin placed his hand on his heart. He was clearly moved by Jughead's words. Jughead was surprised by his own declaration.

"If you know all these things, then why can't you just tell her how you feel?" Kevin asked, sounding more like his normal self .

Jughead let out a sigh.  _He's never gonna let this go until he gets an answer. Maybe it's time I told someone the reason why I can't tell her how I feel. If nothing else, it might help dull the obsessive back and forth constantly going on in my head._

Jughead sat back down on the bench.

"Her last crush was Archie Andrews for God's sake. The ultimate golden boy of Riverdale whose biggest flaw is every female that gets in a 10 ft radius of him falls in love."

Kevin got blurry eyed for a second, but then refocused and sat down next to Jughead.

"And your point is?"

"He's almost perfect." Jughead stated, staring at the ground in front of his feet. "Archie's my best friend and I can tell you there is no one with a purer heart or has truer intentions. Good looking, athletic, musical, all the big check marks."

Kevin nodded, but when Jughead glanced over at him, he could see Kevin was still confused.

Jughead sighed before continuing.

"Does anyone's type range from that to...me?"

Kevin sighed, but stayed silent. It seemed as though Kevin had no retort for Jughead's latest reasoning.

They sat in silence as the street lights turned off and the sun shone more prominently in the sky.

Jughead hated to admit it, but he was disappointed in Kevin's lack of response. If Kevin couldn't come up with an answer to that question, could anyone?

"There's only one way to find out." Kevin finally stated, clearing his throat and pointing behind Jughead's back.

Jughead turned around to see Betty was running towards the bus stop.

Jughead and Kevin both found themselves standing up. The two of them stood straighter than usual and looked in different directions, as if they were worried their stances gave away the discussion they were having.

"Betty!" Kevin shouted, a bit too vehemently as he ran over to Betty and gave her a hug. "We were just talking about you."

_What the fuck, Kevin?_  Jughead thought to himself.

"Hey Kevin." Betty said, slightly out of breath but looking between the two guys. "You were talking about me?"

"I just told Kevin we were investigating a lead. Apparently Kevin goes for morning runs past this bus stop." Jughead told her, trying to fill her in so Kevin didn't get the chance to say too much and so Betty would know he didn't betray her trust.

"Oh really? I didn't know that Kevin." Betty said, nodding because she understood what Jughead was saying.

"Just trying to keep in shape. I have a variety show to host and a boyfriend to impress." Kevin bragged, as he pulled at his phone to glance at it. "Speaking of which, I should probably start running so I can get ready before school."

"Kevin, you won't say anything to anyone about where we are?" Betty asked, sounding nervous.

"Lips are sealed." Kevin said, mimicking running a zipper across his mouth. "Have a good...investigation."

He lingered on the word investigation for too long. Jughead was seriously regretting his choice in confidante.

Kevin cast a meaningful look at both of them and jogged away.

A few moments after he left, both Betty and Jughead breathed huge sighs of relief.

Just as Kevin disappeared in the distance, the bus to Greendale arrived.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x06: Moments after chapter 21

"Thank you for not telling him. I love Kevin, but if he knew we were going to see Polly…" Betty said, boarding what was already a half full bus.

"Trust me, I get it." Jughead reassured her, climbing in behind her. "Kevin with a secret is dangerous. You never know when it will just burst out of him like a Jack-in-the-box nightmare."

Betty smiled. She would like to give Kevin more credit than that, but she knew Jughead was right. Kevin couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it.

They moved through the bus until they found a group of three seats available in the back of the bus.

"So you were cutting it pretty close, getting to the bus stop." Jughead said, taking the seat by the window.

"I know." Betty sighed, taking the seat closest to the aisle, leaving a seat in between them. "I tried to sneak out of the house but my mother was already awake and subjected me to 120 questions before I could leave. I finally had to lie and say I had a Blue and Gold deadline."

Recalling the events of the morning was making Betty feel more stressed out than she wanted to be.

"Technically, talking to Polly about Jason's murder is newspaper business, so it could have something to do with an eventual deadline." Jughead reasoned with a grin.

Betty smiled and felt her heart flutter a bit. Jughead had this ability to make her smile, even in the most serious of situations.

"I suppose you are right." she told him, but she was suddenly overcome with a wave of excitement. "I can't wait to see her!"

Jughead smiled. "Have you thought about what you are going to say?"

"I don't know, I just…." Betty started, but then looked at Jughead. "I'm just so happy that it is actually going to happen! I was so worried I might never see Polly again."

"Hey." Jughead started, leaning closer to her. "No matter when or where, we would have found a way to bring the two of you together again."

Betty instantly believed him. That was one of the things she liked most about Jughead. When he was determined, he usually got his way. She knew that no matter what it took, Jughead would have stood by her, searching high and low until they found Polly. No matter how long it took, she knew he would be there every step of the way. Like he is right now.

"Thank you. For coming with me."

_Thank you doesn't begin to cover it._ Betty thought.  _I am not sure I could do this by myself._

"Of course, Betts. Besides, it is not like we are missing much at school. Maybe the latest in variety show drama." Jughead reassured her.

Betty rolled her eyes. With everything they were dealing with, the Variety Show was one of the last things on her mind.

"Yes, the real issues our generation is dealing with: will Reggie really try to play Bohemian Rhapsody on his abs?" Betty laughed.

"He will try. You haven't truly died inside until you've seen him do it. I am so glad attendance isn't mandatory to this thing." Jughead explained.

Betty's head whipped to look at Jughead. She suddenly felt incredibly disappointed by this revelation.

"You are not planning on going?" she asked, surprising herself with her own shock.

"Did you really think I would?" he asked back, his face wearing a clear look of surprise.

"No." Betty shook her head, scoffing at her own lie. "I guess I am so used to us being a team. And with Kevin hosting, Archie and Veronica singing, I thought..."

_That he would want to go? That he would sit beside me as I cheered on our friends? Why would I assume that he would want to go?_ Betty wondered to herself.  _The Variety Show is not Jughead's scene. I don't think he has even mentioned its existence til now. But I assumed he would be there with me? Now that I think about it, Jughead would have a terrible time at something like that. What kind of friend am I that I didn't think about how he would feel._

"I suppose I could be bribed into it." Jughead told her, shrugging. "A double chocolate milkshake and some cheese fries would be a good place to start."

Betty sat up straighter in her seat.  _He's just trying to be nice. He shouldn't have to be. I don't want him to go out of pity._

"It's fine, Jug. You don't have to go." Betty tried to reassure him, sounding sadder than she had intended to. "It was silly of me to think…"

"Betty, it is not that big of a deal." Jughead told her "I would love to go to the variety show with you."

Betty felt her heart leap. She couldn't figure out why, but she really didn't want to go without Jughead. Something about going without him didn't feel right.

"Under the previously negotiated terms otherwise known as cheese fries and I make no promises not to laugh or sulk." Jughead teased.

"Well you wouldn't be you if you didn't sulk." Betty teased back.

"Hey!" Jughead exclaimed, acting offended but laughing the whole time.

Betty laughed too.

"Did you hear that Dilton Doiley is planning a dramatic reading?" Betty asked, still wearing a look of amusement.

"Of course he is. Doiley lives for the dramatics. What cliche project is he planning to bring to life?" Jughead asked her.

"I think he is just reading Mark Anthony's eulogy from Julius Caesar." Betty told him, knowing his reaction before he could voice it.

"Wow. Not even the most interesting of Shakespeare's works." Jughead said.

"Well could he really do a scene from Romeo and Juliet by himself?" Betty asked, revealing her favorite Shakespeare work in the process.

Jughead snickered.

"Really? Romeo and Juliet?" Jughead said, looking at her skeptically.

"Don't judge." Betty defended "I am a sucker for a star crossed romance."

"A failed romance you mean." Jughead informed her.

"Is it a failure though? They loved each other." Betty argued.

"It wasn't enough to save them from their lives." Jughead argued back

"It was enough for them. At least for a little while." Betty finished. She wasn't sure why she was getting so defensive. It wasn't surprising that Jughead was no fan of the tragic romance, but Betty found herself almost taking his dislike for it personally.

Jughead didn't argue back, surprisingly.

"I supposed it could have it merits, but I mean it is no Macbeth." Jughead told her.

"Yes, because Macbeth isn't something to be scoffed at. Bearded ladies making prophecies in a forest." Betty mocked

"Oh come one. Witches, magic, prophecies, technicalities; what's not to love about Macbeth?" Jughead reasoned.

"There are no admirable women!" Betty argued.

"Lady Macbeth was a badass. You could argue that the witches put the plot in motion, but they just whispered in Macbeth's ear. Lady Macbeth was the one who really had most of the control. Macbeth just heard some words but his wife made things happen." Jughead pointed out.

Betty was staring at Jughead. How often had she and Jughead had conversations like these? Outside the last few weeks, the two of them had rarely been in each other's company without Archie around. Archie was the buffer, the thing that connected the two of them together. Without him, you would think that Betty and Jughead would be lost. But they could talk Shakespeare together. And Morrison and Salinger and so many other literary greats. How had the two of them been friends for so many years and not had a thousand of these conversations? Betty couldn't stand to think there was a point in her life when she couldn't poke fun at Jughead's love for tragedies or he her love for romances. These conversations, these interactions just made the world make more sense.

She was so focused in on their conversation and her accompanying thoughts, she hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings.

Neither of them had really been paying attention, but the bus had really begun to fill up. There were almost no seats available at this point. The bus stopped and yet another new wave of passengers got on. One of the new passengers shoved their way to the back to approach Betty and Jughead.

"Can I sit here?" the man asked, looking as though he planned to sit no matter what her answer was.

Betty nodded, scooting to the seat next to Jughead allowing the stranger to have the aisle seat.

The bus seats were incredibly small. Even though none of them were big people, it was a cramped space. Betty and Jughead both had their arms crushed to their sides; shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg. Betty felt as though she and Jughead were trapped in that closet again with how close they were having to be now.

_The closet where Jughead and I both revealed things about ourselves that no one else knew. Huddled close together out of necessity for space. Not that I minded, Jughead was very comforting that day. And he looked so incredible in that suit._

Betty felt herself blushing just remembering what happened in the closet.

"Are you ok?" Jughead asked, trying to turn towards her looking concerned. "I mean, do you have room? I can go stand or something"

Betty smiled, relieved he didn't notice her blush or least thought it had to do with being crushed.

"That's ok" Betty said, trying not to sound squished. "Maybe we can maneuver…"

Betty tried to come up with suggestions to make them more comfortable but she wasn't really sure what to do.

Jughead then wrenched his arm from between the two of them. He let it dangle in the air above them for a few moments, as though he were trying to decide something. Then he put his arm around her, keeping his hand hovering on the back of the seat.

The world seemed less cramped by this simple gesture. Not to mention, it was oddly comforting having his arm lingering behind her.

"That's great. Thank you." Betty said.

"No problem." Jughead said, gripping the back of the chair.

The two of them looked in opposite directions for awhile, giving Betty the chance to focus more on why they were on this bus in the first place.

_I am going to see my sister!_ Betty thought to herself still smiling.  _After all this time, I am going to see her and ask her things and feel like my life is somewhat resembling normal._

But then it hit her. There are so many things she hadn't considered. She could feel her face falling as she contemplated these things.

"What's wrong?" Jughead asked, looking in her direction and sounding concerned.

Betty considered lying. Usually when people ask what's wrong they expect a fake answer and Betty is usually happy to comply. But she didn't feel like Jughead was looking for a fake answer and she didn't want to give him one.

"Jug, what if my parents weren't lying? What if Polly is...in no condition to talk to us?"

It was at this point that people usually lie. The reassure you that what you are thinking is correct and that everything is going to turn out fine. Even Betty did this. But Betty hated it. She hated herself for doing it. It felt so hypocritical, but it was a such a part of the established protocol for behavior, Betty was helpless but to adhere to it.

Jughead sighed. "It's possible. But if she were...unstable, why would your parents be so determined to keep you apart? Wouldn't it be beneficial to show you her breaks in stability so you didn't doubt it? It is like you said, 'there's gotta be a reason that your parents are keeping you apart'"

Betty felt relief wash over her. Of course Jughead wouldn't lie to her for the sake of politeness. Instead he approached her with honesty and logic, things Betty felt her life could use more of.

"Do you really think so?" Betty asked him, turning to look him in the eye. She was fairly certain he wasn't lying, but she had to ask. "Or are you just saying that to cheer me up?"

Jughead smiled. "I really think so. Though cheering you up is a happy side effect."

Betty smiled back at him. Jughead had always worn such a hard exterior with the rest of the world. He never seemed afraid though of letting Betty in, of letting her know that she mattered to him. She could only think of a few others that had the privilege of being appreciated by Jughead Jones. Archie could definitely claim this honor. And someone else...

"Jughead?" she asked, her mind still spinning with thoughts of him.

"Hmm?" he replied

"What would you say or do if you were reuniting with Jellybean?" Betty asked earnestly.

Jughead sighed deeply. He didn't seem prepared to be asked about himself.

"Once I was done hugging her, you mean?" Jughead asked.

"I can't really imagine you hugging, but go on…" Betty added

Jughead gave a half chuckle, but went on.

"I would just tell her how much I love her and miss her." Jughead explained "And then listen to any dumb story she had to tell me about magical ponies and angsty alt rock vinyls."

Jughead turned to look Betty in the eyes. Betty's heart began fluttering again without her permission.

"Just being with her would be enough for me."

Betty smiled, looking back into Jughead's eyes. She had never really noticed how blue they were before. How even though he was smiling, there was still sorrow in them. His eyes revealing just how much he was holding back from the world It was as though Betty could see Jughead clearly for the first time.

Their eyes stayed locked on each other for a few moments. Then Jughead cleared his throat and glanced behind her.

"Looks like our bus buddy vacated his seat."

"What?' Betty asked, too focused on Jughead's eyes to pay attention to anything else.

Jughead pointed behind her and Betty turned. The man who had forced her and Jughead closer together in the first place was no longer there.

_I wonder how long he has been gone?_  Betty considered, but not enough to say it out loud.

Betty was about to reluctantly suggest moving the aisle seat when she realized they were almost to their stop.

"Our stop is coming up." she informed Jughead, pointing at him to pull the string, notifying the driver of their desire to get off the bus.

Jughead pulled the string, but didn't move any further away from her.

The bus stopped moments later in front of a large building they couldn't see clearly through the window.

Betty and Jughead stood, moving to get off the bus. Both of them worried about what lie behind the doors of this creepy religious group home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100 Kudos and almost 3000 views. I can't believe it! I am grateful to all of you who have read, commented, and liked this story. I hope you all continue to enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x06: Jughead debates whether or not to tell Betty about his feelings

Jughead slammed his laptop closed. He just spent the better part of two hours trying to describe what had happened with Polly for his novel. He typed and retyped long passages but not a single word had remained at the end of it. Jughead was at a loss for words.

It is not that there wasn't anything to say, there definitely was. Jason Blossom and Polly Cooper were planning to run away together because she was pregnant and they wanted to get married and have the baby. A perfect twist in the ever growing mystery that was Jason's murder, but Jughead could not get the right words out. Nothing seemed to make sense when he wrote it out. It all just seemed like words on a page rather than stringing together to create a story. As much as he would like to blame factors like the incredibly loud group of football players a few booths over or grinding car engines outside, Jughead knew they weren't the real cause of his distraction.

He was distracted because of Betty. Jughead was distracted because he hadn't seen her since her mother dropped him off at Pop's without a chance to say goodbye. He kept replaying the last moments they had spent together in his head. Betty, barely holding back tears. Her mother, not in much better shape as they drove back to Riverdale. They hadn't said a word to each other in the car. He only picked up what Betty had learned from context. Seeing a clearly pregnant Polly being dragged away by orderlies made it easier to figure out what had happened.

As Jughead sat there thinking, he realized that it wasn't that he couldn't think of the words to describe what had happened; it was that he couldn't think of anything other than Betty. He knew her so well. Polly being pregnant with a Blossom baby would be an incredible motive for Hal Cooper to kill Jason. Betty would have figured this out and he knew she would confront her dad about it.

Jughead found himself desperately wishing he could be with her right now. He wished he could sit beside her as she confronted her father and be there to comfort her whether he denied it or confessed to it. He felt so useless sitting there in a booth far removed from the situation. How was he supposed to write when Betty was mere moments away from devastation.

Every second that ticked by, however, Jughead got more anxious. He started tapping his fingers, pushing uneaten fries around his plate. He had uneaten fries!  _He_ had uneaten fries. That had never happened to him in his life.

He couldn't even think of eating though. Every time he tried, Betty wrapping her arms around her crying sister would pop in his head and he would get distracted again.

He contemplated opening his laptop just so he could slam it again to have something to do. He didn't get too far into contemplating when he heard the bell signaling a new customer ring. Archie had just walked in, looking around for a few minutes before spotting Jughead and running over to his booth.

"Hey Jug, have you heard from Betty?" Archie asked, sounding concerned.

"Not in the past few hours." Jughead responded in what he hoped was an even tone, checking his phone.

_Three hours and seventeen minutes, but who's counting._

"But you've seen her today and she is alright?" Archie asked, somehow sounding more concerned than he had a second ago.

"She's fine Arch." Jughead reassured him, though not quite believing it himself as he leaned forward in the booth.

Archie glanced around, as if he expected Betty to just spring up from a random corner of the room.

"What's up, pal?" Jughead asked, wondering what could possibly have Archie so on edge.

"Nothing I guess. It is just Kevin was being super vague about where she, and you for that matter, were today."

"Was he?" Jughead asked.  _At least he didn't tell anyone._

"I kept asking, hoping he would give me a straight answer, but he just kept saying "investigating" in air quotes."

_Dammit Kevin._ Jughead thought, annoyed.  _Way to be the most obvious person in the world._

"Betty is fine, Arch." Jughead told his friend, hoping to settle his nerves "We were investigating a story for the paper. No air quotes, actual investigating. Things took longer than we were expecting and we didn't get back in time to make it to school."

Archie took a deep breath, looking relieved.

"What were you guys investigating?" Archie asked, taking a seat across from Jughead. "Is it what you were being so secretive about yesterday?"

"I can't really discuss it." Jughead told him, checking his phone again. "Things are still playing out and I don't want to compromise our story."

_Our story. How long has it been our story?_ Jughead wondered to himself. Maybe he had been deluding himself into thinking it wasn't their story the entire time.

"I guess I will read about it in The Blue and Gold." Archie told Jughead, stealing a fry from his plate. "Or whenever you get around to finishing your novel."

Jughead nodded, not quite sure how to respond to that as he glanced at his phone. Still no word from Betty.

"Are you ok, man? You seem really distracted." Archie pointed out.

"What makes you think I'm distracted?" Jughead asked, as he quickly glanced at Facebook on his phone to see if Betty had updated her page.

"You haven't stopped checking your phone since I got here. Normally I forget you even have a phone." Archie told him

Jughead put his phone down, exasperated.

"I am just, conflicted." Jughead told him honestly.

"Conflicted?" Archied asked.

Jughead nodded, but immediately regretted bringing the subject up. He didn't want to talk to Archie about his feelings. Especially his feelings for Betty.

"Is it about your story? Your novel?" Archie asked, sounding concerned.

_Of course he would assume it is about his novel. What else could Jughead Jones actually care about?_

"I'm not sure it is something you can help with." Jughead told him, shoving his laptop into his bag.

"I want to try." Archie told him earnestly. "Come on, Jug. How often do you have problems and need my advice?"

Jughead sighed. This was definitely true. His and Archie's friendship was primarily founded on Jughead supporting Archie, usually with his latest girl drama. Jughead never imagined the shoe would be on the other foot. He never thought that he would have girl drama of his own. Jughead never thought he would be afraid to talk to his best friend about anything, but he was afraid to tell him this. But he wanted to so badly. Jughead wanted things to be normal between them again and keeping secrets wasn't helping matters. As supportive as Kevin tried to be, he was not Jughead's best friend. Kevin was barely even Jughead's friend. Jughead wanted to talk to Archie about this.

_I don't know how to explain to my best friend that I have feelings for his girl next door. How do you even start a conversation like that?_

Perhaps there was a way that Jughead could talk to him about his issue without actually specifying the issue.

"I am having trouble, Arch. There's this…thing. I am not even sure how or if I should say anything, but I am past the point where I can ignore it. It is right there in my face and I can't stop thinking about it."

_Yes, if I am so vague that words stop having meaning, that will work._ Jughead berated himself.

"Are you having trouble finding the words?" Archie asked, trying to fill in the blanks

"Words are only part of the problem." Jughead told him, frustrated with himself for even starting this conversation. "The biggest issue I have is whether or not I should say anything at all. I mean, does it really matter if I don't say anything?"

"Given masterfully vague you are being, I don't know." Archie told him, grabbing another fry from the plate "Will this knowledge hurt anyone if it comes out?"

_Just me._ Jughead thought, but knew this wasn't what Archie was asking.

"No Arch, I can't imagine this information would hurt anyone. Mortify, maybe but not hurt." Jughead reassured him.

"What could it possibly be that makes you afraid? You've never been afraid of anything. Not even when you should be." Archie asked.

Jughead threw his head back, knowing Archie had a point. He has never been afraid of bullies or rejection or standing up for he believed in. On the outside, that made him look pretty fearless. But there were things he was afraid of. People finding out he is homeless. Archie finding out his dad is a Serpent. Anyone finding out how he felt about Betty.

"This is uncharted territory for me, dude." Jughead explained, as he raised his head back up "It is outside of my realm of experience."

_Maybe it should remain that way._

"Jughead, if it is not going to hurt anyone and you can't get it out of your head unless you do something about it, then you need to. You need to act, Jug."

Jughead nodded. "Thanks Arch."

Archie cleared his throat. "No problem, man. I can't wait to find out the big secret, but I need to get home. My dad will so ground me if I am late for my curfew again."

"I am sure you will find out soon." Jughead told him, not sure that was a good thing.

"Ok. Bye Jug."

Archie walked out of the diner and Jughead looked at his phone for the first time in minutes.

Jughead had a missed text message. He practically dropped his phone with how quickly he tried to open the message.

It was from Betty.

**Betty: Parents are taking my phone. My mom says they didn't kill Jason. I'm grounded forever so I can't go with you to the variety show. Sorry :(**

Jughead sighed in relief. She was grounded, but at least he had heard from her. At least she knew her parents didn't kill Jason. But he knew that wasn't all there was to the story. She probably had to type quickly before surrendering her phone to her mother. He knew Betty and he knew she would be contemplating a thousand different things she couldn't control. She would be worried about his sister, paranoid her parents weren't being honest with her, and probably worried that she hurt his feelings by canceling on him for the variety show.

Betty cared so much about everything. About everyone. Jughead knew it was one of the things he liked most about her. Sure she was beautiful, smart, funny, and a million other wonderful things but her heart was what really made her. She was so full of love and compassion and optimism and Jughead just felt himself being pulled towards her.

_Like a moth to a flame._ Jughead thought to himself.

Despite the vagueness of their discussion, Archie had somehow convinced him that Jughead should tell Betty how he feels. She probably wouldn't feel the same way, but Jughead had to tell her. His brain would explode if he didn't say it out loud.

Jughead Jones was going to tell Betty Cooper that he liked her.

* * *

The next day, Jughead walked over to the Cooper house, rehearsing all the things he was going to say in his head. He had typed out several different speeches but decided when it came to declarations of romance, it was probably best to just wing it.

He made it the walkway in front of their house when he noticed at least one of her parents' cars were in the driveway.

_Figures._ Jughead thought to himself.  _If I have to knock on the door and greet one or both of her parents, I won't be able to say anything. My insides will freeze._

He could always come back later, but Jughead knew he would probably lose his nerve if he didn't do it now. But how was he going to confess his feelings and avoid her parents?

Jughead tried to remember where Betty's bedroom was. It took him a few moments, but then he remembered that she and Archie had juxtaposed windows. Once he realized that, he realized there were multiple windows to her room, one that had a window seat which would be wide enough and fairly easy to climb into. But how would he get up there?

Then he came up with an idea.

Jughead quickly walked over to the Andrews house, knocked on the garage door where Archie was rehearsing.

"Hey Jug, what are doing here?" Archie asked, strumming on his guitar while he talked.

"I am taking your advice. Does your dad still have that super tall ladder he used to work on the roof last year?" Jughead asked, hopeful.

"Sure, it is right behind me. What do you need a ladder for?" Archie asked

"No time to explain, pal. I have a balcony to climb." Jughead said, quickly grabbing the ladder and running out the garage door.

He ran away from the garage, hoping that Archie wouldn't follow. Not long after he left, Jughead heard Archie start emphatically playing his guitar again and decided it was safe to carry on with his plans

_I have to be crazy._ Jughead thought.  _Climbing a ladder to tell a girl I like her. That's not me. That is not my story._

But she wasn't just any girl. She was Betty. She was one of the most amazing people he had ever known in his entire life. These past few weeks working with her had been a never ending source of light as the world around him refused to stop being consumed by darkness. He needed to do something or he knew he would regret it.

Jughead leaned the ladder against the side of her house and began to climb.

With every step, fear threatened to swallow him whole. What if she didn't feel the same? What if she thought he was weird or disgusting? What if she never wanted to speak to him again?

Jughead had to stop half way up the ladder to take a deep breath. Betty would never do that. She would never judge him for his feelings. She might not feel the same, but she would never cast him aside because of how he felt.

With that knowledge, he ascended the last few steps. He felt resolved now, like a prince in a fairy tale trying to rescue a fair maiden from a tower. Like Romeo ascending the balcony in hopes of uniting with his beloved Juliet. He couldn't think of himself as Romeo, but he could definitely see Betty as a Juliet.

Glancing in the room quickly to make sure she wasn't in the middle of something private, he took his hand and knocked on the window.

_Here goes everything._


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x06: The kiss from Betty's perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you get too disappointed by the PoV, this chapter has a twin.

Betty was sitting at her vanity, fidgeting with her necklace and completely lost in thought. After everything that had happened yesterday, Betty had to deal with a lot of emotional fallout. She had gone to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy expecting at the worst, a mentally unstable girl who needed Betty to support her. She did not expect to find her sister pregnant. Betty had hoped seeing Polly would clear things up, that she would be able to cross her family off the list of suspects. But if anything, seeing Polly just more firmly placed them on that list.

Betty knew he parents didn't kill Jason Blossom, but they were far from innocent. The way her mother responded the idea that her father could have done it, the malevolent laughter, the open hostility. Betty spent half of the night crying, the other half trying to understand what had happened to her family. There had always been a strain in their lives; one that none of them liked to think or talk about, but it was always there. Her mother always put so much pressure on all of them to be what she wanted them to be. Her father always stepped aside and let her mother take control of their family. It was horrible, but at least her mother's insistence on perfection was something Betty understood. But now, it seemed like if you weren't perfect, in her parents eyes you were crazy. She couldn't understand how or why her parents would feel that way. Betty thought she didn't know her parents before; but it is very possible she never really knew them.

And what about her sister? Polly was not sick, unless you ask her parents. Or was she?

Betty just sat there and contemplated the same thoughts over and over again. Polly was pregnant. Polly was planning on running away with Jason. Her parents thought this idea was literally insane. They thought Polly was insane. They locked her away in a home for trouble youths, because they thought she was crazy. As much as Betty wanted to believe in her sister, she just wasn't sure.

_Was it true? Was Polly crazy for planning to run away? Am I crazy for believing in her?_

Betty was so confused. Being grounded and unable to get out of the house really didn't help take her mind off matters. She desperately wished she could talk to someone about it. Her parents had confiscated her phone after she had accused them of murder, so she had stuck with her own thoughts. She had just managed to get a message out to Jughead before they took her phone letting him know that she was grounded.

_I really wish I could talk to him right now. I wish I could leave my thoughts behind for a few moments. I wish I could feel something other than confusion and pain._

Then there was a tapping on her bedroom window. Not the one facing Archie's house, so it probably wasn't him trying to get her attention.

Betty turned around and saw Jughead appearing to hover outside the window.

_Jughead!_ Betty felt her heart jump and her face crack into a smile.  _What on earth is he doing here? And how did he get a ladder?_

Betty quickly glanced at her bedroom door. Her parents were supposed to work at the Register til the Variety Show later tonight, but when it came to her parents Betty didn't want to take any chances. Once she saw that her door was shut, she made her way to the window to open it.

"Hey there, Juliet. Nurse off duty?" Jughead asked.

_Did Jughead just call me Juliet? Does that mean he actually gave my favorite Shakespeare story a chance?_

At this point, Betty was all smiles as she stepped aside to let Jughead into her bedroom.

"You haven't gone full Yellow Wallpaper on me yet, have you?" Jughead asked, as he more or less stumbled into her bedroom.

That snapped her back to reality. Yellow Wallpaper, a literary reference that Jughead would make. Someone going crazy from being trapped in a bedroom seemed a pretty innocuous reference to make when a friend is grounded and confined to their bedroom. Little did he know how much that preyed on her mind.

"They're crazy." Betty declared, finally able to say the words to someone besides herself. "My parents are crazy!"

"They're parents, they're all crazy." Jughead proposed.

Betty could tell he was trying to make her feel better with a joke, but she had spent so much time alone with her thoughts, she could not be deterred from them.

"But what if Polly is too?" Betty asked, relieved to finally be able to vocalize the tug of war happening in her brain for the past few hours. She began to pace, not looking at Jughead. "The way she was talking to me, the way she looked at me."

The look of mania in Polly's eyes was one of the things Betty couldn't stop seeing. As Polly had explained hers and Jason's plan, she seemed to become unhinged by it. Their parents had driven Polly to the edge.

"And now all I can think is maybe I'm crazy like they are." Betty finished. Saying it out loud made her realize just how afraid she was of this being true. After what happened with Chuck, she knew that her dark side was darker than she wanted to believe. She had been alone with these thoughts of madness for too long.

"Hey." Jughead said to her, his voice more calming than usual as he placed a hand on her left shoulder when she turned to face him.

Betty sighed. She was surprised how much of a weight had left her since Jughead's arrival in her bedroom. It was nice to say it all, even if she was being overwhelmingly emotional with her sardonic friend. Just having him there made her feel a little less unstable.

"We're all crazy." Jughead told her, looking her straight in the eye and letting his hand drop back to his side.

Betty smiled and happily sighed. She knew Jughead didn't fully understand why she was so concerned. She knew he meant in the generic sense of the word crazy, but his words still reached her.

"We're not our parents, Betty. We're not our families." he reassured her.

_How did Jughead do that? How did he know the right thing to say right now? How is he able to make me feel better with just a few words of comfort?_

Betty nodded. She wanted desperately to believe Jughead. She wished that she wasn't doomed to be her mother. Betty needed Jughead's words to be true, more than she thought he realized.

"Also…" Jughead began, but his voice seemed to catch.

"What?" Betty asked of him, not sure what more he could add to his previous thoughts.

But Jughead didn't respond. He just stood there, looking nervous and breath quickening.

Betty was confused. Since when did Jughead Jones, the guy with a sarcastic quip for any situation imaginable, have trouble talking? Especially to her. They had grown so close in the past few weeks, she couldn't imagine there being much of anything that they couldn't share with each other.

The silence continued and Betty decided to ask again.

"What?" she said, realizing she was both confused and worried.

_What could be so bad that her best friend couldn't tell her? What was on his mind?_

Then within a matter of seconds, the answer became obvious.

Jughead reached forward to claim her face, placing a hand on each of her cheeks and pulling her close. Before Betty had understood what was happening, she felt Jughead's lips on hers.

_Whoa!_ Betty thought, her eyes closing to match his already closed ones. His lips pushed against hers, but not forcefully.

_Jughead is kissing me? Jughead Jones is actually kissing me!?_

When Jughead had first started leaning in, Betty had felt her hand come up in case she had felt the need to push him away. Apparently she instinctively knew what was happening before she consciously did.

But when Jughead's lips touched hers, she was gone. Completely lost in the kiss. Her heart felt as though it was going to explode out of her chest. Her stomach contracted, as if to remind her breathe in case she forgot to do so in the moment. Her skin burned where Jughead held it. She felt as though sparks filled every inch of her. Rather than using her hand to push him away, she felt her fingers graze his cheek. It was euphoric. All the pain of the past few hours seemed to melt away in that moment. All she could think about was how wonderful it felt to be there, her brain was finally unobstructed by thoughts of insanity.

Betty felt herself pull away from the kiss, not from a lack of desire to continue, but a desperate need to breathe. Their lips parted and Betty could feel herself smile.

Betty felt Jughead sighing in front of her and knew he must be feeling this same.

A car backfired outside, snapping Betty out of her euphoria and reminding her of something really important.

_Polly had mentioned a getaway car._

"The car!" Betty declared, pulling slightly away from Jughead, but he still had her face in his hands.

"Wow." Jughead said, sounding slightly amused. "That's what you're thinking about in the middle of our moment?"

"No!" Betty tried to argue, but even she knew it wasn't completely true. "Polly talked about a car Jason had a car stashed for them down route 40 near some sign? If we can find it, we can confirm Polly's story."

"One way or another." Jughead said

She knew what Jughead was saying. They might not find a car if they go looking, meaning that her parents could be right about Polly. As much as it would hurt to realize it, there was possible proof that her sister wasn't crazy. Sitting back and doing nothing was not an option for Betty.

"I need to know, Juggie." Betty told him honestly.

"Alright." Jughead said, looking away from her now. "We should probably head out soon before it gets too dark."

"What should we bring?" Betty asked, trying to figure out what someone brings on a mission to find a stashed away car.

"We will need to get some flashlights. Maybe a cell phone charger." Jughead said, looking around her room as though he were trying to decide what else to bring based on the surroundings "And you might wanna grab a jacket, it is supposed to rain."

"Ok." Betty said as she turned and left the room.

She ran downstairs to grab her family's emergency flashlights from the coat closet.

She was still in shock. Jughead had actually kissed her. Jughead had kissed her and she kissed him back. If you had asked her before he kissed her how she would have reacted, Betty wouldn't have known. She had realized that the two of them had been growing closer recently. Jughead had become a way more prominent figure in her life. Betty didn't know that every conversation they had or every moment they shared was building up to something romantic. But now that it had, now that he had acted and she had reacted, she wasn't sure what to do with these romantic feelings.

_Should we do anything? It is not as though a kiss is a guaranteed relationship starter._

Betty shuddered. She wasn't quite sure she was ready to think about that yet. She needed to focus her priorities on finding evidence for the case. For proving Polly either right or wrong.

Once she had grabbed the flashlights, she looked around the room to make sure that her parents were gone. There was no sign of them but there was a set of car keys sitting on top of the fireplace mantle.

"Hey!" Betty shouted up the stairs to Jughead, who she assumed was still standing in her room waiting "My parents are gone and my dad left his car at home. We can use it to get to route 40."

"Sounds good." Jughead said, emerging from her bedroom and running down the stairs. "You got the flashlights?"

"Yeah." Betty said, handing him one of the flashlights.

Jughead took it tentatively.

There was a crack of thunder outside, causing them both to jump. The rain was coming sooner than they thought.

Betty grabbed her coat from the hook and put it on. "Are you ready?"

"Let's go." Jughead told her, walking past her to open the door, his eyes avoiding her gaze.

Watching Jughead avoid looking at her made her think about what had happened between them. They hadn't said a word about the kiss since she broke it up. Betty was now worried. What if he thought she didn't like it? That she didn't like him? Or that she brought up the car as a way to get out of it?

Betty didn't have time to answer these questions for herself, but she didn't want Jughead to assume she was rejecting him. You can't just reject guy after a kiss like that.

"Jughead." Betty said, standing in the middle of the foyer feeling nervous.

"Yeah." Jughead responded, turning around to face her. His face was blank, as though he were trying very hard not to be any specific emotion.

"To be continued." she replied, hoping that this was a good enough answer for him for now.

When Jughead smiled in response, Betty returned it.

_Hopefully this night will give us more answers and I can answer your questions._


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x06: The kiss from Jughead's perspective

Jughead was standing on a ladder, in front of a girl's bedroom window, waiting to be rejected. The thought of it made him want to jump straight down, risk breaking his leg and hobble away for dear life. But it was too late, he had already knocked on her window.

Betty turned from her mirror to look at him and looked confused.

_She's probably wondering how I got the ladder._  Jughead wondered. _Or why I got the ladder. Maybe just appearing at her window wasn't the best move. I'm not making it easy for her to reject me._

But Jughead couldn't help noticing that she didn't seem angry or creeped out, much to his relief. She seemed amused by his appearance at her window.

_Well at least she isn't gonna slam the blinds down in my face. Yes! I know Betty would never do that, but I'm hanging out on a ladder here, I've got to consider all the options._

She glanced at her bedroom door, then walked over to the window to pull it open.

Once the window was slightly cracked, Jughead slid his hand in to help her open it.

The window was opened and Jughead let the romantic side of him take over. A side of him he didn't know exist until about a week ago.

"Hey there, Juliet. Nurse off duty?"

_Wow. I feel like Jason Blossom is cringing for me right now in his grave._

But Betty didn't seem to find it cringe worthy, Jughead noted. She smiled at him at least and stepped aside to let him into her room.

Jughead decided moving away from Shakespeare before this became to romantic comedy-esque was a good move.

"You haven't gone full Yellow Wallpaper on me yet, have you?" he asked her as he practically crashed into her bedroom.

_Well if her parents are here, they will be here any second._ Jughead thought, embarrassed.  _Could this situation be any worse?_

Betty sighed and Jughead immediately realized that referencing Yellow Wallpaper to someone who lived with Alice Cooper was probably not the wisest choice.

_Congratulations on saying the worst possible thing right now._

"They're crazy." Betty told him, clearly affected by his Yellow Wallpaper comment. "My parents are crazy!"

_Ok, so not the time for grand declarations of romantic intent. Got it._ Jughead thought, almost relieved by this realization.  _She needs her friend Jughead right now. That is who I will be._

"They're parents, they're all crazy." Jughead tried to reassure her in his most off the cuff way. He knew he hadn't succeeded either in changing her outlook on her family or changing his mindset from romance to friendship.

"But what if Polly is too? The way she was talking to me, the way she looked at me."

Betty began to pace and Jughead could feel how much she had been internally panicking before he got there. He stepped behind her, hoping he could convince her to turn around and not be afraid.

"And now all I can think is maybe I'm crazy like they are."

_How could you possibly think that?_ Jughead thought. Jughead hated the idea of Betty beating herself up. He hated that she worried that she could on any level be even remotely are crazy as her mother. It wasn't possible; Betty could never be the kind of person her mother is. She was too good, too wonderful, too caring.

She turned around to face him and he placed his right hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." Jughead said, trying to inject as much sympathy as he could muster into a word.

Betty sighed, though it seemed to Jughead to be more a sigh of relief than frustration. Apparently she had been holding these feelings in for awhile.

_I know the feeling._ Jughead thought, thinking about his reason for being here in the first place.  _But now is not the time for that. She needs me._

"We're all crazy." he told her in his normal sardonic way. He let his hand drop, not wanting to overstep the friendship bounds.

Betty looked at him, amused. Jughead couldn't help but feel a little satisfied, but he knew she needed to hear more.

But what could he say? What were the words that made everything ok? What could he possibly tell her?

His family wasn't necessarily crazy, but they were unstable. His mother ran away with his sister and left him with his broken, drunk of a father. Every day, Jughead rallied against it, but he always struggled with the idea of becoming either one of his parents. He never realized that he and Betty could have something like that in common.

"We are not our parents, Betty." Jughead reassured both her and himself. "We are not our families."

Betty swallowed hard and nodded. She seemed to take his words to heart.

_Good. Maybe if you believe it, I can too. Maybe if you can see that our lives don't have to be that of our parents, there is hope for me too._

He could have stopped there. Maybe he should have stopped there, but Jughead felt like there was something missing from this moment. Some words or phrases that could completely make things right for her.

"Also…" Jughead began, but his throat caught.

_Also, there is no way you could ever be like your parents. You are too kind and loving to be anything less than what you are._

_Also, the world is a complicated place. You can be so much more than what people think you can be._

_Also, you don't see yourself the way I do. You are so amazing and the world is brighter place because of you. At the very least my world is._

_Also, I can't imagine a world where you were anything less than the beacon of hope I see you as._

Jughead was coming up with a million ways to finish that sentence, but words were failing him. Words were actually failing him, Jughead Jones. The aspiring novelist was at a loss for words. He tried moving his lips, but he just couldn't find a way to get the words to come out.

"What?" Betty asked him, looking at him curiously.

He couldn't answer her. He could barely keep breathing. He tried looking into her eyes, to see if there was a way they could do one of their silent exchanges. Communicate that even though he was at a loss for words that he was supporting her.

But the second he looked in her eyes and he was gone. The words even left his mind and there was no hope of that sentence ever being completed. All he could think about was how beautiful her eyes were; how sad they were, but waiting for hope to fill them again. He allowed his glance to flit down to her lips and now all he could think was how desperately he wanted to kiss her.

Betty was standing in front of him, shaking her head confusedly.

"What?" she asked again, looking worried this time.

Jughead didn't think, he just acted. He placed both of his hands on either side of her face and pressed his lips to hers.

Oblivion. He had never felt more alive than in that moment. He had closed his eyes just before kissing her, and now he couldn't imagine ever opening them again. There was nothing he could see that could compare to this feeling. His lungs felt tight, making it seem as though if he breathed too hard he might die. His skin felt like it was on fire. He felt weak in the knees. If Betty really wanted to, she could knock him over and he would be powerless to her. His lips moved against hers and Jughead began to worry for a brief second that this kiss was unwanted by her. Then he felt her fingers touch his face, he felt her sinking into the kiss.

All doubts from his mind were erased. The world made sense to him for the first time in so long. Kissing Betty seemed natural, like they should have been kissing for years.

It was too soon when Betty started to break away. All the doubts came flooding back in an instant. Jughead worried that she was upset with him for kissing her, but then he felt her smile against his lips.

And Jughead breathed. It felt like he hadn't taken a breath since he walked into her bedroom. He sighed in pure relieved because no matter what happened from this moment on, he had finally been able to express how he felt about her. And that was enough for the moment.

There was suddenly a loud bang outside and Betty jerked her face way.

"The car!" she declared.

Jughead laughed internally.  _Of course she is thinking about a car._

"Wow." Jughead said, tilting his head towards her in amusement. "That's what you're thinking about in the middle of our moment?"

_Our moment?_ Jughead thought to himself.  _We had a moment. I had a moment with Betty._

Jughead couldn't help the disappointment he felt when she pulled her face out of his hands.

"No. Polly talked about a car that Jason had stashed for them down Route 40 near some sign? If we can find it, we can confirm Polly's story." Betty explained.

_Oh, she is thinking about Jason Blossom's murder. I knew there was something I liked about this girl._ Jughead thought.

Jughead felt himself become more focused. He knew Betty was right and that they had to investigate; there could be evidence there that helped them with the case. But it didn't take him long to realize one of the most obvious possibilities. What if they got to the place where Polly was talking about and there was nothing there? Betty could possibly be crushed and he couldn't let that happen to her. He felt like he should warn her, but at the same time he wasn't completely willing to take the hope that her sister was right away from her.

"One way or another." he simply stated, hoping it was enough that she understood.

"I need to know, Juggie." Betty explained.

She had to know how powerless he was when she called him Juggie.

"Alright." Jughead said, looking away from her now. He needed to focus if they were going into investigation mode.

"We should probably head out soon before it gets too dark."

"What should we bring?" Betty asked.

"We will need to get some flashlights. Maybe a cell phone charger." Jughead said, trying to figure out what one brings on this type of mission. He quickly glanced at Betty, realizing what the weather was supposed to be like. "And you might wanna grab a jacket, it is supposed to rain."

"Ok." Betty said as she turned and left the room.

Jughead just stood there, trying to focus but kept reflecting back on the kiss. It was amazing in the moment, but now he couldn't stop thinking about what a terrible idea it was. She was vulnerable and had a lot on her mind and he decided that was the moment to make his move.

_Nice going. You are now the guy who preys on a girl when she is vulnerable. Not just a girl. Your best friend._

The more Jughead thought about the kiss, the more embarrassed he got.

He took a quick glance around Betty's room, hoping to distract himself and felt more embarrassed. It seemed like every corner of it had pictures of her and Archie throughout the years. It was plain to see that Betty wasn't over Archie.

_Maybe her quick thinking of changing the subject was for the best. We can just pretend it never happened._

And Jughead could just live it. Or at least that is what he would tell himself.

"Hey, my parents are gone and my dad left his car at home. We can use it to get to route 40." Betty shouted from downstairs.

"Sounds good." Jughead said, leaving what he now considered the scene of the crime to meet Betty in the foyer.

He made it downstairs to see Betty, grabbing the keys from where they sat on the mantle.

"You got the flashlights?" he asked, reaching the bottom of the stairs

"Yeah." Betty said, extending one out to him.

Jughead grabbed it, trying as best he could to keep some distance between the two of them.

Betty then started putting on a raincoat. "Are you ready?"

_As ready as I am going to be._

"Let's go." Jughead told her, avoiding her gaze and he walked over to open her front door for the two of them. If there was any hope of him moving on from whatever his feelings were, distance and lack of eye contact were key.

As he opened the door, stepping aside to let her through, he realized she wasn't behind him.

Betty was standing in the middle of the foyer. From the quick glance he gave her, Jughead could tell she was nervous.

_She is probably concerned about Polly. Some final doubts before we find out if Polly was right._

"Jughead." Betty said, a resolve present in her voice that Jughead couldn't understand.

"Yeah?" Jughead replied. Ignoring his better judgment, he turned to face her, looking her in the eyes. Her beautiful, heart trapping, soul crushing eyes.

There was a look of determination on her face. It was very much a determination he had seen from her before. But he wasn't sure it had anything to do with her sister.

"To be continued." she replied, simply.

He knew she wasn't talking about the investigation and smiled in spite of himself. When she returned his smile, it seemed like everything was falling into place.

_Now let's go solve a murder._


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x06: Betty and Jughead go looking for Jason's car.

"So did Polly happen to mention where off Route 40 this getaway car is supposed to be?" Jughead asked, pulling up some maps on his phone as Betty drove them her dad's car.

The two of them had been driving down Route 40 for the past twenty minutes, eyes peeled for any sign that could be the one Polly was referring to. So far, nothing. Although the predicted rain wasn't helping them with their search. The wipers were barely able to keep the windshield clear enough to see through. Betty felt nervous as she continued driving.

"She said something about a lost highway?" Betty said, beginning to question her memory on the matter. "I have never heard of a lost highway."

"It's not exactly lost if everyone knows where it is." Jughead pointed out. "But there is an exit about 3 miles down that doesn't have any signs. That could be what Polly was referring to."

Betty quickly glanced at Jughead with a confused expression before immediately focusing on the road.

"And how would you know that, Jug? Do a lot of late night travelling down Route 40?" Betty asked, amused

"No." Jughead said matter of factly " But I've read quite a few town maps."

Betty sat there, trying to focus on driving and also trying to keep herself from smiling. She had no idea he had an interest in their town's geography.

"You've got your hobbies, I've got mine." Jughead informed her, also seeming amused himself.

"I thought writing was your hobby." Betty suggested, slowing down to let someone behind her drive past.

"Writing is by raison d'etre." Jughead informed her. "Map reading is something to pass the time."

"But you enjoy it? Learning about the town's geography?" Betty asked, genuinely surprised.

"Is that so strange?"

"Not strange. Just...unexpected. You never seem to pay attention in geography class." Betty explained

"The exit is right here." Jughead pointed to a small strip of road just a minute ahead of them.

There wasn't even a sign pointing the exit out. Betty has probably driven past it multiple times with her family and never noticed it. But she turned on her signals and got on the exit.

It was immediately ominous. The exit was completely deserted, clearly abandoned years ago and left to ruin. Several years worth of debris and leaves covered the ground. There were a few buildings on the road, barely standing with broken windows and missing walls. There weren't even lit streetlights.

"Hard to believe something like this could exist in Riverdale and almost no one know about it." Betty mused, trying hard to focus on the dark road ahead of her.

"That's the thing about towns like ours." Jughead said, his tone nonchalant "It claims to be a town of rich history but there are some things history likes to bury."

Betty nodded. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Betty knew this. Whenever there was something ugly or menacing in town, everyone just seemed to ignore it. No one wanted to deal with imperfections. Eventually the problems of the town disappeared, or at least that is how it seemed until recently.

Suddenly they ran out of street to drive down. Betty placed a foot on the break and stopped. The headlights of the car shone on a sign. The sign was faded and covered in foliage so that neither of them could read.

"Maybe that's the sign Polly was referring to?" Betty asked Jughead, as she put the car into park.

"I don't know. I figured the Maple Syrup sign would be big and have some sort of 1950s misogyny associated with it." Jughead told her.

Betty felt immediately disappointed. This was the end of the road. If the sign wasn't here, then Polly was wrong. Then she and Jughead had risked their necks in the middle of storm to go down a creepy road and find nothing.

Jughead sighed, clearly able to read her train of thought.

"We should probably check it out though." Jughead told her, unbuckling his seat belt.

As Jughead unbuckled, the rain started coming down harder. They both out the window, as if hoping their ears were deceiving them.

"Should we wait for the rain to let up?" Betty asked, unbuckling her seat belt as well.

There was a crack of thunder and a crash of lightning.

"I don't think that is happening anytime soon." Jughead told her honestly.

Betty nodded, feeling apprehensive. It was not that she minded getting wet, but it was a downpour and it might all be for nothing.

"I can go check and you could stay in the car." Jughead suggested.

Betty sneered at him.

"You want to go out in the middle of a rainstorm into a creepy unlit area just to look at a sign by yourself?" Betty asked him sarcastically, placing her hand on the car door handle. "Not likely."

Jughead smiled at her as he reached for his own door handle. The two of them got out of the car, immediately soaked because of the heaviness of the rain. They hurriedly ran over to the sign.

It took a few minutes of pulling and Jughead cutting away at vines with his pocket knife, but they were finally able to clear off the old sign well enough to read it.

"Maple Farms" The sign read, with an arrow pointing to the left through a patch of ominous trees.

Jughead pointed his flashlight towards the trees to see if they could see anything but trees in the distance. Betty glanced in that direction as well. There appeared to be a treeless area not too far beyond where they currently were standing. Betty then pointed his flashlight down to see that there were remnants of a road pointing towards those trees.

"When the Blossoms abandon something…" Jughead began "It kinda turns chaotic and creepy."

Betty nodded in agreement.

"We should go through the trees." Betty said, determinedly.

Jughead didn't look convinced, but he nodded and the two of them began to walk down the path. Betty found herself staying pretty close to Jughead, not wanting to get separated in this practical darkness. She was trying to be brave, to not appear as if their horror movie-esque surroundings were having any effect on her. But Betty was on edge. She worried that the slightest sound would force her to jump into Jughead's arms. The thought of it made her blush. Suddenly she was grateful they could barely see out in front of them.

_I can't believe he is here with me. I can't believe he is going through all this trouble because he wants to help me find out if my sister is telling the truth. This can't have been what he thought he was agreeing to when he started writing for the newspaper._

"Hey, Juggie." Betty started, leaning closer to him to be heard over the rain. "Did you ever imagine it would be like this?"

"What would be like this?" Jughead asked, seeming to have no idea what she was referring to.

"When I asked you to join the Blue and Gold, did you imagine it would be like this?" she asked him, curiously

"Did I imagine we would be wandering through a creepy abandoned forest by ourselves at night in the rain, looking for a sign and a getaway car based on a tip your rumored to be but not crazy sister gave us?" Jughead asked, taking a deep breath "Oh absolutely. It's why I signed up."

Betty smiled, grateful to know that at least he wasn't resenting her for bringing them out here.

As Betty continued to move her flashlight throughout the clearing, she noticed it reflect on something. When she shined the light on it specifically, she realized it was a tractor.

"Abandoned farm equipment. Always a good sign." Betty said, sarcastically

"In a horror movie, maybe" Jughead added.

The two of them pointed their flashlights in opposite directions, but then Betty noticed something red in the corner of her eyes. Years of being classmates with Cheryl had her trained to know it was a Blossom red.

She turned and pointed her flashlight over and saw an old, faded red sign the indicated this was the Blossom Maple Farms.

"Juggie!" Betty exclaimed, flickering her flashlight from him to the sign.

"Have Some Syrup With That Ma'am." Jughead said, reading off the old faded sign's slogan. "R.I.P. the marketing genius that came up with that one."

"Oh come on." Betty said, trying to contain her excitement at finding the sign, but not having much luck. "I am sure that was totally clever in the 50s."

Jughead laughed, but then he looked forward.

About 100 ft in front of them, covered in a tarp and some broken branches was the thing they were looking for.

"Betty. The car!" Jughead told her.

Betty didn't need to be told this though. She was focused on the tarp covered vehicle.

"Come on!" Betty shouted as the two of them ran towards the car.

Jughead pulled the tarp off the front of the car almost as if to check and see if it were real. The car was older, clearly not one Jason's parents would have gotten for him.

_Now that I know the car is here, I need proof that it is Jason's._

Betty started walking towards the back of the car, but noticed that Jughead was still staring at the front of it.

She looked at him, hoping he understood that she didn't want to search through it by herself. Not that she hadn't gone through someone's car before. But she didn't want to do it by herself.

Jughead clearly understood her look because he walked to the back of the car with her.

They pulled the tarp off the trunk as the rain continued to pour down on them.

_Now what do we do?_ Betty wondered.  _I don't have a bobby pin on me so I can't pick the lock. Why didn't I come more prepared?_

Jughead began to feel under the handle of the trunk door and he was able to lift it open.

_Jason must have left the trunk unlocked for Polly. So she could put her stuff back there in case she got there first._

Jughead propped the trunk door open with an old broom handle so that the two of them could examine its contents.

In it was all the proof they needed to corroborate Polly's story. Jason's letterman with his named embroidered on it, a suitcase filled with clothing, blankets and other jackets. There even seemed to be snacks ready for the passengers who never made it there.

Betty breathed a sigh of relief. As desperately as she wanted to believe that her sister was telling the truth, she didn't dare let herself believe it until this moment. Her sister and Jason  _were_ planning to run away together. Her parents were wrong. Polly was not crazy! They had the proof right here.

Jughead continued to go through the contents of the trunk, when he came upon something he wasn't expecting to see.

"What are those?" Betty asked, looking at the bricks wrapped in cling wrap.

"Drugs." Jughead said, matter of factly. "Betty…?"

Betty heard the questioning in his voice. He hadn't expect to see something like this in the car. Neither had she. Out of all the things she thought they would find in the car, she never considered they would find anything illegal or incriminating.

Jughead picked up one of the bricks of drugs, looking at it as though he were questioning its existence.

_Oh my God. Jughead just touched some drugs. His fingerprints would be all over it. Our fingerprints are all over everything in this car._ Betty panicked in that moment.

"Wait! Jughead put it down. This is evidence! This is all evidence!"

Jughead dropped the brick, realization dawning on his face.

"Crap. This whole car is a crime scene!" he told her,

A crime scene that told the story of more than just Jason's murder. Now, there were drugs involved. There was more to this than a dead athlete and pregnant teenager.

Jughead pulled his phone out of his pocket and started taking pictures.

_What a good idea._ Betty thought.  _It seems like people who walk away from crime scenes never come back to the same thing twice._

Jughead took pictures of Jason's jacket, the suitcase and the drugs.

"We need to get Sheriff Keller, then we need to get Polly." Betty told him, as he continued to photograph the car.

"Ok." he told her, taking one final picture before closing the trunk and turning to run back to the car.

"Where is the Sheriff?" Betty said, trying to dial his cell phone number. "It isn't too late, but I doubt he is still at the station."

"I assume at the Variety Show." Jughead told her as they continued past the tractor.

_The Variety Show._ Betty thought  _I completely forgot that was still happening._

Betty was dialing the Sheriff's number but whether it was due to the rain or their location, she didn't have cell phone signal.

"So we should probably go to the Variety Show, show him the picture you took and then go the Sisters."

"And do what once we get there?" Jughead asked as they reached the car. "I don't think they will just let Polly go."

"We'll figure it out, Juggie." Betty reassured him, though she honestly had no clue what her plan was. As much as she wanted this car to be the thing that would bring her sister home, she hadn't figured out how it worked yet. Betty grabbed the car handle and slide into the car.

"I just know we can't leave her there. Not now that we know the truth."

She hoped Jughead would understand.

"Let's text the Sheriff that we need to talk to him. We will see where to go from there."

Betty nodded, putting the keys in the ignition. Though he might not understand it, Jughead was supporting her choices. She didn't realize how much she needed that until now. Heat filled the car, making Betty realize just how cold she was as she placed the car in drive and began the journey to the high school.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x06: Betty and Jughead realize Polly is missing from the Sisters. Inspired by the picture of Jughead holding Betty's face in front of the bus stop

It was amazing to think of how much could happen in such a small amount of time. Mere hours ago, Jughead and Betty were standing in her bedroom and Jughead was kissing her. Now, the two of them were desperately driving to Greendale hoping to break Polly out of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. The visit with the Sheriff had been brief. Long enough for them to explain that they found the car and for Sheriff Keller to head back to the police station for backup before going to where they had found the car.

Now that they had done their part in adding evidence to Jason's murder case, Betty was determined to get Polly away from the Sisters. She wasn't sure what to do or what was going to happen once they got her out, but Betty couldn't stand the idea of Polly being there another minute.

The storm raging outside of the car was only fueling the sense of urgency. Betty barely stopped the car outside the Sisters of Quiet Mercy before darting out of it.

The doors to the institution were surprisingly unlocked as the two of them burst through. Betty didn't think the building could have gotten any creepier, but seeing it in the dark, devoid of life or even light...it was good thing there was no time to deeply consider his surroundings.

"Polly's room is on the third floor, 2nd door on the left." Betty shouted behind her, not aware of that Jughead was close behind her. She found it difficult to breathe, but refused to slow down. Who knew when someone might show up.

"Betty." Jughead said, sounding more out of breath than she was, clinging to a stitch in his side. "We probably don't have to…."

He didn't get a chance to finish that sentence as a man who was probably the guard creeped up from the shadows and approached them.

"Hey! You aren't supposed to be here!" a burly guard shouted, grabbing his phone to call the police.

Betty and Jughead froze momentarily. How were they supposed to get past a guard to get to Polly? It wasn't as if she and Jughead could take him on.

Betty glanced over at Jughead, hoping he had idea. He clearly did, as he stepped closer to the guard.

"Run!" Jughead shouted to Betty, grabbing the guard's phone and throwing it off in the distance.

Betty had taken his advice and practically thrown herself at the staircase, Jughead breathlessly following.

They made it to the third floor before the guard could even make it to the stairs. Betty threw open the door and launched herself down the hallway. Jughead continuously checked behind him to make sure the guard hadn't caught up yet. Betty was grateful to have him there, she was barely able to give the guard a second thought.

Betty raced to her sister's room, pushing the door open. Her heart stopped. She felt as though everything she had been working towards all night had diasppeared.

Jughead almost crashed into her, having to wonder merely for a second what stopped Betty from entering the room, before he saw it himself.

Neither of them were prepared for what faced them.

Instead of Polly, lying there either reading or sleeping in her hospital bed, Betty and Jughead saw a vacant room. Not just vacant, a room of a escapee.

"Polly?" Betty asked, in vain. It was clear from the chair on the ground and the broken window that Polly was no longer there. Somehow Betty's pregnant sister had managed to break the window and escape from a third story bedroom.

Betty and Jughead both went over to the broken window and looked down. Neither of them were quite sure what they were looking for, perhaps an unconscious Polly on the ground beneath the broken window. But there was nothing to be found on the ground below but broken glass and blood.

_Blood._ Betty realized. There was blood on the shards of glass remaining in the window.  _Polly was out there somewhere and she was injured._

The guard finally caught up to them.

"I said, you can't be...wait!" the guard said, looking around the room. "Where is the girl?"

When neither Betty or Jughead responded, the guard moved closer.

"I said, 'where is the girl?'" he asked, seeming to aim his question more at Betty than Jughead.

"Hey!" Jughead shouted at him, positioning himself between the guard and Betty. "It is fairly obvious that we are as in the dark as you are. It might be a good idea to inform someone who could actually do something about it."

The guard looked annoyed, but then grabbed his cell phone and dialed, leaving the room as he did so. "We have a escapee from room 311."

Betty barely noticed the guard's disappearance, too busy filling herself with worry about her sister.

"Polly!" Betty shouted out the window, her voice breaking as she did so. She glanced frantically around, as if hoping that Polly would somehow manifest in the shadows. After a moment of waiting for a response, Betty's heart filled with panic and she ran out the door.

"Betty!" Jughead shouted, following after to her.

Betty flew down the stairs and out the door into the rain to right below the window that used to belong to Polly's room.

"Polly!" Betty shouted, scanning the area in both directions, hoping against hope that her sister would be somewhere nearby.

Betty saw a small trail of blood leading off to the woods behind the home. Jughead's glance followed hers.

_The forest. She must be lying somewhere hurt among the trees. I have to go save her._

Betty started to run into the forest, the thought of grabbing a flashlight not crossing her mind.

"Polly!" Betty shouted, but then she felt a hand grab her arm.

Jughead had caught up with her, clearly out of breath.

"Betty, we can't. Not right now." Jughead told her, taking deep breaths when he could.

"But Jug, she's…" Betty heard her voice breaking as she said this.

_She's hurt. She's alone. My sister._

"I know." Jughead told her. "But we don't know this forest and we can't risk getting lost trying to find Polly."

_Jughead is right._ The rational part of her thoughts told her.  _What good are we to her if we get lost too?_

But it was too hard to just abandon her sister to the wild.

"I can't leave her." Betty said, tears coming out her eyes.

Jughead glanced at the forest, almost as if he were thinking about launching himself into the forest to find Polly. But he resisted.

"You're no good to her if you get lost too." Jughead told her, grabbing her face in an attempt to calm her down.

She hadn't realized it, but the world had felt as though it were spinning. Ever since seeing Polly's empty room, she felt as though the world was going by too fast. When Jughead had placed his hands on her face, it felt as though the world had stopped. The howls of the wind quieted, the downpour of rain lessening. It seemed as though she and Jughead were the only two people here in this moment.

If it were any other circumstance than the one they were currently dealing with, Betty thought she could lost in this moment. Jughead holding her made more sense than she ever thought it would.

Betty nodded at him, which was difficult to do when someone was holding your face.

Betty felt herself collapsing inside, she reached out for Jughead's arms, her fingers grazing his elbows. She found herself clinging to him, hoping that his certainty would make things easier for her to figure out what to do in this moment.

_Polly is all alone. And she is scared. And she is injured. How am I supposed to leave her now?_ Betty screamed internally

"You're sister is strong, Betty." Jughead reassured her, almost as if he could hear her thoughts "And we will find her. But we can't do it now."

Jughead leaned forward, as though he were trying to look her in the eye. He wiped away a tear that fell down her cheek, the spot his thumb ran across burning on her face.

Betty was still panicking internally, she couldn't help but feel comforted by his words and his touch.

_If nothing else, at least I don't have to face all of this alone._

Jughead took a deep breath before trying to speak again.

"Do you believe me?" Jughead asked, looking at her questioningly. "We will be back here as soon as we can and we will find her."

He stared at her for a moment. Betty could see him wondering if his words were having an affect on her. As desperately as she wanted to, she knew that she couldn't just go into the forest looking for Polly.

"I believe you." Betty told him, surprising herself.

Jughead sighed, clearly relieved.

"Let's get you home then." he said, taking his hands off her face. Betty's face felt colder the second he let go.

Jughead gently placed a hand on her shoulder as he lead her back to the car. "We need to let your parents know."

"Know?" Betty asked

"They need to know Polly is missing. We can't look for her right now, but maybe they can."

Betty nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. As they walked away, she glanced as much as she could at her surroundings. She was trying to decide what she would do in Polly's situation. But the events of the day were making it harder for Betty to think than usual.

The two of them walked to the front of the building which was completely lit as the guards checked for other escapees.

_There were no other escapees._  Betty thought.  _Just_ _Polly._

Betty and Jughead went unnoticed, the guards too distracted by their search to question them as they got to the car and began the drive back to Riverdale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry today's chapter is a bit shorter, but trust me the next chapter will more than make up for it.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Between Episodes 1x06 and 1x07. Betty and Jughead spend some time together post Polly breakout.

Betty and Jughead made it to the Cooper residence at about 11:17 pm.

_The first time I have been late for curfew in a while._ Betty couldn't help thinking to herself. But then she remembered she was grounded anyway, so it didn't matter how late she was.

Betty pulled out her keys to unlock the door, when it burst open, her mother standing on the other side looking livid.

"Elizabeth Cooper. You and that Jones boy in the house right now." Alice barked.

Betty and Jughead practically tripped over each other, trying to get into the house.

Jughead knew she had no power over him, but Alice Cooper still terrified him.

"I know you think you are ace reporters, slinking off into the night, solving mysteries. But you are teenagers. One of you is a grounded teenager. I need to know where you are going to be, that is just the way things need to be…" Alice berated.

"Mom!" Betty shouted. "Polly escaped from the Sisters!"

"What are you talking about?" Alice questioned, her eyes narrowing as she was thrown off of her diatribe.

"Jughead and I went there to  _see_ her," Betty started to explain, not quite ready to explain what they were actually doing there "and she had escaped her room. They were looking for her, but I don't think they are going to find her."

Alice's face immediately filled with worry.

"Oh my God. Hal!" Alice screamed, grabbing her coat. "Hal, Polly is missing. We need to go to the Sisters."

Betty's father appeared at the door to the basement, clearly having just been spending time in his den.

"How can Polly be missing?" Hal asked, grabbing his coat from the closet to follow his wife.

"I don't know." Alice began, shutting the door behind her, drowning the rest of her sentence out.

Seconds later, the lights of Alice Cooper's car turned on and sped down the quiet street.

It was now completely silent in the Cooper house. Betty and Jughead standing in the foyer, dripping on what Jughead was sure was an expensive rug.

"I figured there would be more questions." Betty admitted, almost laughing.

Jughead shrugged. "I guess you just have one of those believable faces."

Betty shook her head.

"I'm not sure what good it was telling them about it." Betty told him

"Because if anyone can scare a bunch of nuns and dumbfounded guards into searching menacing woods at night, it is your mother." Jughead replied.

Betty smiled, but only a little. She was so emotionally exhausted. It had been a very long day for her.

"Um…" Jughead began, not really sure what to do at this point. "I guess I should be getting home. Wouldn't want to be here when you mom and dad get back."

Jughead walked over to the door.

"Stay." Betty heard herself saying. She wasn't sure why, but she really didn't want him to go.

"What?" he asked her. Jughead couldn't be sure he actually heard her or was just hearing what he wanted to.

"Can you stay with me? At least until my parents get home? We can watch a movie or something…" Betty asked him.

"Okay." Jughead said, also nodding to the request. He wasn't quite sure he could have refused her, even if he had wanted to.

Betty felt her heart lighten, relieved that she wouldn't have to be alone with her thoughts.

The air conditioning kicked on and it sent a shiver down Betty's spine. She was suddenly reminded that she was soaked head to toe from all their running in the rain.

"Betty, you look like you are freezing." Jughead said, walking over to rub her arms. He did so a few times before worrying that he might be stepping over a boundary. He jumped back and put his hands in his pockets.

"It's ok." Betty said, trying not to respond either way to Jughead's attempts to keep her warm.

"Why don't you go change?" Jughead asked

"I'll be fine." Betty responded, trying to hide her embarrassment at the situation.

"No you won't." Jughead argued "You shouldn't have to suffer in cold wet clothes when we are at your house."

Betty sighed, realizing Jughead wouldn't let up.

"It doesn't seem fair to change when you can't." Betty admitted.

"Oh." Jughead said. He hadn't thought too much about it, but he wasn't exactly warm either. "Well, maybe while you are upstairs getting changed I can throw my jacket in your dryer."

"Seems fair." Betty reasoned, relieved that one of them had come up with a solution that could lead to both of them being at least dryer than they currently were. "Laundry room is the room next to the bathroom my mother so affectionately showed you. Towels are in that bathroom as well."

_Was that only two days ago? Wow this has been the longest week in history._

"Alright. See you in a few." Jughead told her, heading off to the laundry room.

Betty ran upstairs, went into her room and shut the door. She peeled off her wet clothes, throwing them in her hamper and grabbed her bathrobe. Already, she felt so much more human.

She sat down at her vanity, letting down her hair to comb it. Her hands were shaking so much that she could barely run the brush through her wet tangles of hair. Betty felt herself still shivering and realizing she wasn't cold still, she was nervous. It felt as though there were butterflies in her stomach, desperate to escape.

_I'm being ridiculous._ Betty thought.  _There is nothing to be nervous about. It is only Jughead._

But the mere thought of Jughead waiting for her made her blush.

_Why did I ask him to stay?_ Betty wondered, managing to run the brush through her hair

_Because I didn't want to be alone after the day I had._

But this wasn't a good idea. Wouldn't it have been a better idea to call Veronica or Kevin to stay with her? Someone her parents wouldn't come home and freak out about an hour from now. And even though it is past all their curfews, Betty knew either of them would run over here in a heartbeat if she asked.

_But I don't want Kevin or Veronica here right now._ Betty admitted to herself.  _I want it to be Jughead that is here with me._

This new revelation made her even more nervous and Betty decided she couldn't just sit in a bathrobe in front of a mirror.

She went over to her dresser and tried to decide what the put on instead.

_It should definitely be Pajamas, given the lateness of the hour._ Betty thought to herself.  _But what kind of pajamas?_

Betty pulled out her usual pajamas, a hole ridden t-shirt and shorts.

_Too casual._ Betty determined, throwing them into the hamper along with her wet clothes.

_Do I have formal pajamas?_ Betty wondered, amusing herself.  _What does someone wear in front of someone they are sure what they feel about?_

Betty started pulling out options. She pulled out a pair of pink flannel pajamas her mother got her for Christmas last year. She also pulled out a new set of silky lacy pajamas Veronica had gotten her a couple weeks ago. Neither seemed quite right.

_This is ridiculous._ Betty thought.  _It is not like Jughead is going to notice what I am wearing anyway._

Betty grabbed the flannel pajama bottoms and pulled them on.

_But what if he did notice?_

This thought prompted her to grab the lacy camisole from the set Veronica had gotten her. Once she was wearing both items, Betty checked herself out in the mirror.

The top went surprisingly well with the flannel pajama bottoms. Betty couldn't help but feel cute. Her makeup looked fine in spite of the rain and Betty decided to leave her hair down to let it air dry.

_But why does it matter how I look?_ Betty questioned herself.  _How many times have Jughead hung out at night? How many sleepovers did we have before our parents deemed us too old for coed sleepovers? I never once thought about what I was wearing or how well my makeup survived the day._

_But we aren't eight anymore. And despite all reason, I do care about my appearance tonight._

Betty let out a deep breath. She closed her eyes briefly, allowing herself to release all of her nerves.

_I think I am ready to go down there._ Betty thought, opening her eyes and beginning to open her bedroom door. She had nearly walked out the door when she had second thoughts about the top.

_What if it sends a message I am not ready to send?_ she wondered.  _What if it sends a message he doesn't want to receive?_

She quickly grabbed a random t-shirt from her dresser and threw it on over the top before descending the stairs.

While Betty was upstairs contemplating what to put on, Jughead was debating what to take off. He has already thrown his jacket, flannel shirt and beanie into the dryer and still he was freezing.

_How many clothing items am I willing to part with in a laundry room?_ One more bone chilling shiver helped make his decision a lot easier. He decided to take a risk and throw his t-shirt into the dryer as well. He was still a little cold, but there was no way he was going to take off his pants when Alice Cooper could walk through the door at any minute.

There he was, standing shirtless in Betty Cooper's house. He couldn't help but feel nervous.

_Why did she ask me to stay?_ Jughead asked himself.

_Because she has had a long, torturous day ending with her pregnant sister injured and on the lam. Of course she doesn't want to be alone right now._

Jughead sighed, the logic of the situation disappointing him.

_It has nothing to do with me._ Jughead concluded.  _It could have just as easily been Veronica or Kevin or even Archie. I just happened to be here when everything started falling apart._

Jughead didn't feel as nervous now, but now he felt depressed. He rubbed a towel he snagged from the bathroom against his wet scalp, contemplating how he was going to behave around Betty when she came downstairs.

She had kissed him back earlier, or at least Jughead thought she had. She said 'to be continued' before they left to find the car. But she also thought of the car in the middle of their kiss and she had been through hell tonight.

Was now really the best time to try to figure out if she could possibly have feelings for him?

No, of course not.

_Friends._ Jughead determined.  _When Betty comes downstairs, we will be friends. That is what she needs from me right now._

Jughead decided he was ok with it. Not happy about it, but he knew that there was more than a chance that she didn't feel the same way as he did. But he also picked the worst time in history to let his feelings for Betty be known.

_Why didn't I just shout it in the middle of the dance while she was confessing her love for Archie? That is the only way my timing could have been worse._

"Hey, Jug?" Jughead heard Betty shout from what was clearly not upstairs.

_Damn._ Jughead thought, thinking he had more time for his clothes to dry.

"Um, yeah?" Jughead questioned, wrenching open the dryer door, desperately searching for his beanie and his t-shirt.

"Do you want snacks while we watch the movie? I can make some popcorn." Betty suggested, her voice sounding closer this time.

"Uh, popcorn sounds great." Jughead responded, shoving his hat back on his head, while he tried to quickly turn his shirt right side in.

He managed to get it turned the correct way and half way on when Betty walked through the door.

"What did you say, I couldn't quite...oh!" Betty said, turning bright red, realizing that Jughead was in the middle of putting his shirt on.

Jughead tugged his shirt the rest of the way on and blushed as well. Betty had turned around and covered her eyes with her hands.

"Sorry, um. I thought I would throw my shirt in there too. I didn't think you would be down so quickly." Jughead stumbled to say

"It's ok." Betty said, not looking at him and trying not to think about how surprisingly in shape Jughead turned out to be. "It is not like you were naked or anything."

_Why did I say that?!_ Betty felt like her skin was on fire.

Jughead was having a hard time deciding whether to be embarrassed or impressed at how befuddled him being shirtless was making Betty.

"I mean, we used to go swimming all the time as children." Betty said, forcing herself to turn around and look at him and not to feel embarrassed. "I've seen you shirtless before."

_When we were 8._ Jughead thought bitterly.

"Yeah." Jughead responded, lamely. "Can we exit the laundry room of shame now?"

Betty nodded and the two of them walked out of the laundry room and into the kitchen.

"Hey, is that my shirt?" Jughead asked, noticing her shirt for the first time.

Betty looked down and realized she was wearing a shirt with an S on it. "I guess it is."

_How did I have one of Jughead's shirts?_ Betty wondered.

"I can't remember why I have this. It is clearly an older one." Betty concluded. It seemed like it would be a bit small on Jughead now.

"Eighth grade. Science class. We were working on baking soda volcanoes." Jughead said, surprising himself with his memory.

_Can't say I have even thought about this shirt since that day._

"Oh right." Betty suddenly remembered. "Archie thought adding dirt would make the lava look more realistic."

"Then you added the vinegar and it exploded all over the sweater you were wearing." Jughead finished, his brain replaying the mud splattering all over Betty and lil' Archie.

"I was mortified. But then you said you had just brought some new clothes in for gym class and you gave me this shirt to wear." Betty smiled at the thought of lil' Jughead.

Jughead nodded. He remembered being so annoyed at Archie for making Betty cry that day. It was one of the first times he had ever been angry with his best friend. It took Archie hours of apologizing to him and Betty before Jughead agreed to let him into the treehouse.

"You've always been there for me, haven't you? In some way or another?" Betty concluded, her thoughts still on Jughead's act of kindness from years ago.

"I hadn't really thought about it that way." Jughead admitted to her honestly. "But I guess so. I have always had your back, Betts."

Betty smiled again.  _How could I have not realized that?_ _How is it that you have always been there and I just went on with my life without noticing it._

"I can't believe I have had it for so long. Do you want it back?" Betty heard herself ask, tugging on the bottom of the shirt.

The realization of what it sounded like she was saying hit them both at the same time. Jughead merely looked incredulous and Betty tried to stop herself from going red again.

"I mean, um. Once I have had the chance to wash and dry it, would you like to have it back?"

Jughead cleared his throat, not sure you could slap the smile off his face. "Oh, um, no. It looks better on you anyways."

_Nice one, Jones._ Jughead complimented himself.

Betty blushed again and decided to do something to keep herself from saying something else ridiculous.

"So, Popcorn?" Betty asked.

"I never say no to popcorn." Jughead informed her, joining her in the kitchen and approaching the microwave. "Where do you keep it?"

"Top drawer under the microwave." Betty told him as she grabbed seasonings from the cabinet to add to the popcorn.

Jughead shoved a bag into the microwave and started the timer.

Betty started adding the seasonings to a bowl.

"I always wondered why your popcorn was better than everyone else's." Jughead told her, crossing the room to exam the bowl.

"It's no big deal. Just some butter salt, some cheese salt. Occasionally some garlic salt, if I am in the mood." Betty told him

"I wish I had known. You could have saved me from some truly awful Twilight popcorn" he told her.

"I thought you loved the Twilight?" Betty asked, moving aside as he picked up one of the seasonings she was using.

"Just because you love something, it doesn't mean you love everything about it." Jughead told her, sagely "I am sure there are things you don't love about cheerleading."

"Being under Cheryl's thumb isn't my favorite." Betty admitted, staring into the bowl rather than face him. "Knowing I am only on the squad cause Veronica forced Cheryl's hand isn't the greatest feeling either."

"That might have been how you got there, but you have earned your place on the squad." Jughead tried to encourage her.

"How would you know that Jug? Have you ever been to any of the games we cheer at?" Betty asked, genuinely curious as she swirled the contents of the bowl around.

"I went to the pep rally." Jughead defended

"That was weeks ago. I could totally suck now for all you know." Betty joked

"Yeah, right. Betty Cooper is not bad at anything." Jughead told her

"That's not true." Betty replied, getting serious for a minute.

She didn't need to say it out loud, but Jughead knew what she was referring to.

"Hey." Jughead started, turning to face her. "You are a great sister. I don't anyone else who would have gone through what you have to find and take care of their sister."

Betty knew he meant it. Jughead was not one to lie for the sake of making someone feel better. But she knew for a fact that she wasn't the only person who would work this hard to take care of a sibling.

"You would." Betty said, looking back at him. "For Jellybean."

"Yeah." Jughead said, looking down. Jughead loved his sister, but since he was trying to distract Betty from her troubles and not be burdened by his own, he knew now wasn't a good time to talk about her.

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Do you want a drink?" Betty decided to ask him, hoping to cut through the tense moment they were having.

"Sure." Jughead responded, happy to change the subject. "What do you have?'

"Um…" Betty started. "I'm not actually sure."

She ran over to the refrigerator and looked around.

"We have water, milk, juice, some soda of indiscernible origin." Betty listed.

"Soda of indiscernible origin sounds great." Jughead replied.

Betty grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge and extended it out to him. When Jughead went to grab it, his fingers grazed hers and she almost dropped the can.

Jughead felt it too. The surge of spark between them was undeniable.

_And ridiculous._ Jughead thought to himself.  _We've known each other for 5 million years. My fingers accidentally touching her shouldn't make shock waves go through my arm._

They both stood there, holding the can of soda when the microwave beeped.

_That was the world's longest three minutes._ Betty thought, letting go of the soda can and retrieving the bag from the microwave.

She poured the contents of the bag into the bowl and began to shake.

"So, to the living room?" Betty asked in a voice higher pitched than her usual calm tone, bowl of popcorn in hand.

"Yes!" Jughead agreed, more vehemently than he usually would, walking out of the kitchen and into the Cooper living room.

The two of them made it into the living room, Jughead sitting his soda on a coaster then running back to the restroom to get some towels.

When Betty looked at him with a quizzical look, Jughead shrugged.

"Last thing I need is for your mother to murder me for getting her furniture wet." Jughead explained, spreading a towel across the far left couch cushion.

"So what movie are we watching?" Jughead asked, placing another towel across the back of the couch. The dryer had mostly dried his shirt, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"Um, let's see." Betty said, placing the popcorn on the coffee table and opening a bookshelf where the Cooper family kept their movies. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Something esoteric." Jughead mused, throwing a couple of the decorative pillows from the couch onto the chair.

"You like using complicated words." Betty joked. "Small interest demographic, I get it. We have a documentary on the history of soap?"

_My family is strange._ Betty thought to herself.

"I said esoteric, not boring." Jughead joked, finally sitting down on the couch. "Why don't we just find something to watch on Netflix?"

"Don't you hate Netflix?" Betty asked, closing the shelf doors

"Why does everyone assume because I worked at a Drive-In that I hate the modern cinematic experience?" Jughead stated.

"Because you worked so hard to try to save the Drive-In."

"The Drive-In was great for movies, yes, but it was so much more than that to me." Jughead explained, immediately feeling sad remembering it was gone.

"I know it meant a lot to you, Jug." Betty told him, feeling guilty for bringing it up.

Jughead nodded, but decided he didn't want to dwell on this.

"Anyway, it is not like I don't enjoy current viewing trends. I live for double features at the Bijou."

Betty smiled, walking over to the coffee table to retrieve the popcorn.

"I guess there is a lot I still don't know about you." Betty told him honestly.

"I guess so." he said looking over at her, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

_Hey, I am keeping the couch dry, but I still got to cause some chaos._ Jughead thought

Betty looked over at Jughead and realized she wasn't sure where she was supposed to sit.

It was not that there was a lack of room. Jughead had thrown enough pillows onto the chair that there was plenty of room on the couch for her to either sit next to him or on the complete other side of the couch.

_Where would I have sat if Jughead hadn't kissed me today?_ Betty asked herself.

_In the chair._ She concluded.  _Or maybe I wouldn't have thought twice about where to sit if Jughead hadn't kissed me. But he did kiss me and now I know that the chair_ _is not where I want to sit._

So Betty decided to sit in the middle of the couch, placing the bowl of popcorn between the two of them.

Jughead grabbed a handful of popcorn while Betty turned on the television and searched for something to watch.

"Esoteric." Betty said out loud, flipping through the movie options on the app. "Esoteric…"

"Betts, I was kidding about the esoteric." Jughead reassured her. "Just pick something out and I will suffer in silence."

"Silence?" Betty looked at Jughead with a judging look on her face. "I've known you forever. Suffering in silence is not your strong suit."

_If you only knew._ Jughead thought, but didn't say this aloud. He wasn't quite ready to lay his burdens at her feet yet. He wasn't quite sure what he was ready for.

"Sure, but suffer with obvious angst isn't quite as poetic." Jughead joked

Betty smiled and then looked over at him. She noticed something in his raven hair.

"Juggie, I think you have a leaf in your hair." she said, pointing to the right side of his head.

"Wait, really?" Jughead asked, using his fingers to try to brush it out, running his fingers through everywhere but where the leaf was.

"Hold on." Betty told him, putting the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and scooting closer to Jughead. "Let me try to get it."

Betty took her hand and started running her fingers through Jughead's hair to try to get the leaf out. The second her fingers touched his scalp, she felt that same charge she felt in the kitchen. Her fingers gently grazing, trying to get the leaf out; it was really stuck in there. Betty found herself a little glad of that fact. It gave her an excuse to continue.

Jughead was not much better off. Betty fingers running through his hair was making his heart race.  _Embarrassingly so._ Jughead thought.  _I'm surprised she can't hear my heart beating, it is so loud and fast._ Jughead was having to work extra hard to make sure his face didn't break out into a ridiculous smile. He wasn't successful, the smiling creeping in the longer she continued to get the leaf out of his air. He couldn't deny how much he was enjoying this.

"There." Betty said after what felt like hours, retrieving broken pieces of leaf and crushing them in her hand.

"Thanks." Jughead said, his voice lower than usual and finding himself leaning closer to Betty.

"No problem." Betty said, releasing the broken pieces of leaf onto the living room floor, leaning in closer to Jughead.

There was barely any space between them now. Betty felt like there was a charge in the air. Like there was something in the world that was pulling them closing together. She couldn't explain it. She didn't want to explain it. She just found herself desperately wanting to close the distance between them.

"Betty" Jughead started in practically a whisper. He wasn't sure what he planned to ask, but he felt like he needed to ask her a question.

"Yes?" Betty asked, using her right hand to push herself closer to him, not realizing her hand pressed on the television remote.

The channel on the television changed and the volume for the station was loud.

Betty and Jughead jerked away from each other at the sudden change in noise in the room. Betty's hand had conveniently turned on the local news station.

"...and while the police have no suspects, Sheriff Keller of the Riverdale Sheriff's Department did inform us that they believe the car belonged to local murdered teen, Jason Blossom." A beautiful brunette reporter on the TV informed them

"Why would Sheriff Keller tell the media about finding the getaway car?" Jughead asked, leaning on the edge of the couch now.

Betty turned the volume up.

'If you are just tuning in, we are in Riverdale, part of Rockland County, where police are trying to contain a fire from a vehicle belonging to a teen murdered a few months ago." The reporter continued, standing feet away from where Jughead and Betty knew the car was.

"Oh my God!" Betty said, using her right hand to cover her mouth.

The news story then cut to footage of Jason Blossom's car, burning. It seemed as though it had already been burning for awhile, already a charred shell of what they had found earlier.

"Police want to assure Riverdale citizens that they intend to find the arsonist and bring them to justice." the reporter concluded.

Betty muted the TV and sighed.

"After all we went through to find the car…" Betty began, not sure where she was planning on going with it.

_It was all for nothing. Nothing I did tonight mattered. Polly's gone and so is the evidence. I failed._

Betty felt herself squeezing her left hand into a fist, starting to break the skin in a familiar way. She closed her eyes, trying not to let her eyes fill with tears.

"Hey." Jughead said, grabbing her balled up hand and began running his thumb up and down the back of it, not realizing what he was doing.

"We got pictures of a lot of what back there." Jughead reassured her. "They might not have the physical evidence anymore, but photographic evidence isn't nothing."

Betty nodded. Jughead's touch having a calming effect on her, she loosened her grip on her own skin.

"I was just hoping that we actually accomplished something today." she told him, honestly, looking Jughead full on in the face.

"And we did." Jughead told her, staring right back at her. "You did. We never would have found the car if it wasn't for you. We might not have known Polly was missing for hours or days if it weren't for you. Don't short change yourself and what you have done."

_How does he know me so well? How does he know exactly what I need to hear right now?_

"Thank you." she said to him.

"I'm just telling the truth." Jughead said, feeling as though he didn't say anything that wasn't obvious.

"In a world full of lies." Betty said, her voice thick with sadness

"Can't argue with that." Jughead stated, then looked down at his own hand which was still holding on the Betty's.

_When did that happened?_ Jughead asked himself.  _How long have we been holding hands?_

"Oh, umm.." Jughead said, looking away and pulling his hand away from hers and clasping his own two together as to avoid temptation. "Sorry."

Betty's hand suddenly felt cold without his hand around it. It had only been there for a few minutes and already she felt its absence weigh on her.

_What is happening with us?_ Betty wondered.  _We have always been friends but this is different. Jughead's not different, but I see him differently. He's not just the best friend of the boy next door. I look at him and I see hope and warmth and comfort. How have I never seen these things before? How have I never noticed just how amazing he is until now? How have I never felt this spark until this moment._

The silence continued on, both of them drowning in their thoughts.

_What is happening with us?_ Jughead wondered.  _We have always been friends but this is different. I am so desperate to close this distance between. Why do I want to wrap her in my arms until the world stops kicking her around? Why do I feel like I would set myself on fire if it meant she would never feel sadness again?_

_The moth to a flame analogy getting stronger by the minute._

Betty swallowed hard. She wasn't quite sure what it meant, but she knew what she wanted.

Betty checked her left hand quickly to make sure she hadn't opened up her scars and reached over to grab Jughead's hand.

Jughead didn't resist, releasing his one hand from the other.

Betty slightly adjusted the positioning of their hands, she began to run her thumb over the back of his hand much like he had done with hers moments ago.

Jughead looked over to her, not sure he wanted to say something to her, worrying about scaring her away. He tried to communicate with his eyes.

_Are you sure?_

Betty looked at him and nodded.

"So movie?' she asked, flipping the television back to her app with her free hand.

Jughead just smiled and nodded.

The fell asleep within an hour of their selected movie, hands still linked when Alice and Hal Cooper came home a couple hours later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. I hope everyone really enjoyed this chapter, it has been my favorite one to write.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Between Episode 1x06 and 1x07: Jughead is at the school thinking about the events of the previous night

Jughead hadn't slept hardly at all. Not that he wasn't used to it by now, sleeping at a Drive-In meant sleeping uncomfortably and for a short period of time. But the most sleep he got the previous night was when he fell asleep watching a movie with Betty, which ended abruptly the moment her parents stormed in, demanding to know why he was still there at 2:30 in the morning. Betty tried to defend his presence there, but Jughead thought it best to just leave and make the process easier.

Once he had gotten to the school though, he couldn't stop his brain from racing. He had spent all night with Betty Cooper. Sure, it was mostly looking for her sister and trying to comfort her afterwards, but that wasn't all of it...

He had finally kissed her. He didn't know how long he had been wanting to do it, but once he did, it felt like he had been wanting to kiss her his entire life.

_And she didn't recoil._ Jughead thought with happiness.  _She didn't try to pretend it didn't happen and it seems like she might be feeling some of the same things I am._

But Jughead was trying not to get his hopes up. Holding hands when they were alone in her house hardly constituted a relationship. Not that he expected a relationship to form out of this. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was getting himself into when he kissed her. All that he knew was once he did it, he wanted to do it again. But he wasn't going to, not until he was sure it was what she wanted.

One of the nice things about finally expressing his feelings to Betty was how it enabled him to finish his chapter about Polly. Since thoughts of Betty were keeping him awake, he had made quite bit of progress on his novel. Four chapters in one night had to be some kind of writing record for him.

It was 10 am and while part of him just wanted to crash on the Blue and Gold couch, he knew he should leave before the Riverdale Prayer Group showed up at the school. Jughead packed up his laptop and decided to make the journey to Pop's when he heard his phone ringing.

He was no longer as isolated as he had been this summer, but it continued to surprise him when his phone rang. And he surprised even more when Betty Cooper's name would flash across the screen.

Jughead smiled and picked up the phone. "Hey, Betts."

"Juggie, hi!" Betty voice rang through the phone, sounding both happy and confused.

"You sound surprised. Did you mean to call your other friend named Jughead?" Jughead responded, wincing when he called himself her friend.

"No!" Betty shouted. "No. I just assumed you would be asleep and I would leave a voicemail."

"Oh." Jughead replied, not sure what his reaction should be. "I can hang up and you can call back and leave me that voicemail…"

"No, it is just...didn't you once tell me that you never awaken before noon on the weekends?" Betty questioned

"I did." Jughead conceded. "But awaken implies falling asleep at some point."

"You haven't slept at all?" Betty asked, sounding concerned. "Why not?"

"Chapters don't write themselves." Jughead told her, patting his laptop. "Besides, I had a lot on my mind."

Jughead could almost hear Betty smiling through the phone.

"So, what's going on?" Jughead asked.

"What?" she responded, sounding confused.

"Early phone call. Are you asking me to come to church with you?" Jughead asked her sarcastically. It was not that he was opposed, but he could not remember the last time he had gone. It would have been before Grandpa Forsythe died.

"My parents want to go back to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy to search for Polly." Betty told him in hurry. She sounded as though she were nervous "We are going to leave after church. Do you want to come with us?"

_Want to? Definitely. Should I though?_

"Are you sure that is a good idea?' Jughead asked, knowing he was going to go anyway if Betty really wanted him to. "I mean, they weren't exactly happy to see me last night."

"Well, you didn't stick around long enough for me to finish my explanation. Once I explained that I asked you to stay and we just stayed downstairs and watched movies, my mom didn't mind." Betty explained.

"I am having a hard time believing that one." Jughead said, grabbing his shoes and a pair of dry socks.

"Seriously. I even told Mom I wanted you to come with us to search for Polly and she said it was ok."

"Huh." was the only response Jughead could come up with.  _Who body snatched Alice Cooper?_

"So, will you go with us?" Betty asked, still sounding as though she were nervous.

"Of course." Jughead responded.

_We aren't even anything specific and she still has me wrapped around her finger._ Jughead begrudgingly thought

"Great!" Betty said, all nerves gone from her voice and sounding thrilled. "Um, where should we pick you up at?"

Jughead was instantly filled with panic before remembering that Betty would not think to look for him at his dad's trailer. She didn't even know his dad even had a trailer. Growing up, Jughead and Betty had spent most of their time not at school hanging out at either Archie's house or a tree house that Jughead built in the middle of a particularly woodsy part of town. Betty had never seen his home or even met his family.

He wasn't keeping his family from her per se, but Jughead's home life even at the best of times had its complications. His dad had been a mess in some way, shape, or form ever since he could remember. Her mother tried to hide it, tried to make things better for him and Jellybean than their circumstances allowed, but her efforts were in vain. Jughead didn't want anyone else sucked into the damaging nightmare his life could be. Especially not someone like Betty.

"Um, Jug? You still there?" Betty asked, Jughead not being sure how much time had passed since she asked the initial question.

"I was just gonna grab some coffee from Pop's and maybe some breakfast. I will just meet you guys at your house." Jughead told her

"Ok. I will see you in a little bit." Betty said, her voice cheery.

"Alright. Bye Betts."

"Bye Juggie."

They both hung up their phones and Jughead grabbed some clean clothes from his pack. Couldn't arrive at the Cooper house in the same clothes from the previous night.

A few hours and three cups of coffee later, Jughead arrived on the corner of Third and Elm. Betty was sitting on the stairs in front of her house, holding his jacket and flannel shirt from the previous day.

"Hi." Betty said, standing up and smiling.

"Hi." Jughead replied, walking closer to her, returning her smile.

The two stood apart for a few moments, just smiling at each other.

Betty shook her head and looked down at the clothes she was holding.

"Um, here. You left these here last night." Betty said, extending his clothes out to him.

"Thanks" Jughead replied, taking his jacket from her and preparing to stuff it in his more or less empty backpack along with his laptop.

"Oh, I probably should have waited to give those to you." Betty said, shaking her head again.

"Nah, it is fine. It is not as if these clothes are unfamiliar with a rough life in a backpack." Jughead said, then realizing what he said.

"What do you mean?" Betty asked, looking immediately concerned.

"Nothing. It is not important." he said, zipping up his bag and putting it back on his shoulder.

Betty looked like she was about to say something, but Jughead was not ready to have the "I'm homeless and living out of backpacks" conversation, so he decided to change the subject.

"How are you?" Jughead asked, looking at her with enough concern, hoping she would answer his question rather than ask her own.

"I'm fine." she replied, her voice betraying the lie.

Jughead looked at her, trying to put as much skepticism into a glare as he possibly could.

"At least I want to be fine." Betty told him, sighing. "I am just worried we are not gonna find her and something terrible is going to happen, if it hasn't already. She's alone and she's pregnant and I just feel so helpless right now."

Her eyes fell to ground. She seemed to be saying all the things she wanted to say since the previous night.

"We are going to find her." Jughead reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Somehow, someway, we will get your sister back. I promise you."

Betty looked him in the eye and Jughead could see that she was trying to believe him.

_When did I gain the power to change Betty's mind and why haven't I been using it all this time?_

Jughead felt Betty's hand brush his and his heart felt as though it constricted.

"Betty, Jug-head, we have to get going." Alice shouted from the driveway.

Betty and Jughead both sighed as they stepped apart and walked over to the car.

Betty's dad Hal was already in the passenger's seat, reading the Sunday edition of the Riverdale Register.

Jughead opened the backseat door and waited for a moment. He had always held open doors for Betty in the past, but this felt different. It felt more personal. More than just something a friend did for someone they respected.

Betty smiled, entering the car and sliding behind the driver's seat.

Jughead followed her, sitting behind her dad, putting a seat belt on. He couldn't honestly remember the last time he had been in a car with adults. It had to be since before his mom left at the very least. So much had changed since then; he had changed so much since then. It was used to making it on his own to places now, no adults to count on to help him through. Riding with adults now felt different. Despite being there to help the Coopers find their daughter he felt like a child being punished.

Alice had gone over to the driver's side, started the car, and backed out of the driveway.

The first ten minutes of the car ride were silent. A welcome silence to be honest; if no one was saying anything, no one could say the wrong thing. But things like these never lasted.

"So, Bucket-head?" Hal started.

"It's Jughead, dad." Betty spoke up, looking over at Jughead with a look of apology.

"Right. Betty says the two of you work on the school paper together?" he said, not looking away from the newspaper in his hands.

"We do." Jughead said, trying to hide to skepticism creeping out in his voice.

"Very good. We can use more print journalists in the world." he said, sounding as though he had said that last sentence to million potential journalists. "Have you thought about what kind of stuff you would like to report on? Sports? Politics? Scandals?"

Jughead wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't consider himself a journalist. He worked on the Blue and Gold with Betty, but primarily he just contributed parts of chapters from his novel.

"Actually Dad, Jughead is a novelist." Betty said, sounding proud. "His work on the paper is primarily contributing parts of his novel."

"A novelist." Hal said, barely suppressing a laugh. "Don't find many novelists who are still in high school. You are still in high school, right?"

"Yes." Jughead replied, not sure what he was implying.

"Good. Cause you can never really know with kids like you." Hal said almost as though he didn't realize what he was saying.

Jughead felt his temper rising inside him. Hal Cooper was just like any other bully he had ever encountered, he just had a few more years and a few more brain cells than the average jock. Jughead never let Reggie Mantle get the better of him and he wouldn't let Betty's dad...

_He's Betty's dad._ Jughead thought, immediately feeling disappointed.  _I can't exactly argue with him. It wouldn't be fair to Betty to make her have to defend me. I'll stand down._

"Dad!" Betty shouted, her face instantly wrought with fury.

_Although if she is gonna jump in and defend me herself..._

"Hal," Alice jumped in, her voice calmer than her daughter's "Jughead has agreed to help us find Polly. There is no need to be hostile."

Jughead was shocked to his very core. Alice Cooper defending him? What on earth would make her do such a thing?

"I just don't understand why we are not letting the Greendale police handle this." Hal said, sounding as though he were preparing for a well rehearsed argument.

"Because we don't want anyone to find out about Polly...Jughead and Betty already know so between the four of us..." Alice started

"Between the four of us, what Alice?" Hal started.

Betty balled up her fist on the seat between she and Jughead. Jughead took it instantly without thinking. Betty breathed a sigh of relief as she moved to lace her fingers in his.

She looked at him and mouthed the words "I'm sorry" as her parents argued in the front seat.

Jughead shook his head at her.

He was not unfamiliar with the parental argument. He had spent most of his youth in cars, his parents screaming at each other. He wasn't expecting it of Betty's parents, but he honestly didn't know what to expect of her parents. He could have sworn a moment ago he saw Alice glance at their intertwined hands in the rearview mirror and smile, but he convinced himself it must be a trick of the light or she was just particularly happy about this point in the argument she and her husband were having.

Hal and Alice finished the argument just as they were pulling up to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy.

Betty got out of her side of the car and stormed in the opposite direction of her parents.

"Betty!" Alice shouted, starting to walk towards.

"Don't worry, I'll go look over there with her." Jughead told her, not sure why he felt the sudden need to reassure Alice Cooper of anything.

Jughead walked over to where Betty was, a small break in the trees where they had found some of Polly's blood last night. The rain seemed to have washed it away.

"Betty?" Jughead asked, placing a hand on her back. "Are you ok?'

"I don't know why it continues to surprise me that my parents are...who they are." Betty said, sounding as though she were holding back tears. "My sister is missing and my dad doesn't understand why we should be looking for her."

Betty walked through the trees, looking around for Polly. Jughead followed her, looking in the opposite direction

"He would rather break you down than know where his pregnant daughter is." Betty angrily stated. "I am so sorry Juggie."

Betty stopped and looked at him.

Jughead stopped too, less concerned about Polly at the moment than he knew he should be.

"I don't understand how you can...how you could..." Betty started.

Jughead didn't need her to finish her thought. She wasn't sure how he didn't lose his temper with her dad. If it weren't for his desire to not make things more difficult for Betty, he might have. But it was all more complicated than it seemed on the surface and Jughead knew that.

"I can handle criticism, Betts." Jughead reassured her, trying not to smile about her defensiveness of him. "Your dad isn't mad at me. He isn't even mad at Polly. He is mad that he isn't in control."

Betty nodded before she started walking around again.

"Polly said that when I last saw her." Betty said, continuing through the trees, looking for any signs of Polly. "She said they locked her up here because they couldn't control her."

"Then maybe her running away was not such a bad idea."

Betty smiled, then continued to look around. She suddenly started running towards a patch of trees near a creek. By the creek's edge, a piece of blue fabric dangled from a tree branch.

"This looks like it could have come from the dress Polly was wearing." Betty said, grabbing the fabric. "Do you think it could be hers?"

She handed the fabric to Jughead. He took it carefully and examined it.

"It could be because of all the rain last night, but this looks like it has been here for awhile." he told her honestly. "It is worth following up on though. Across the creek is another forest, right?"

Betty looked up. "Yeah, I think that is Eversgreen Forest."

"Might be worth looking into." Jughead told her.

"Betty!" Alice could be heard screaming in the distance. "You and Jughead need to come back to the car, immediately."

Betty sighed and the two of them returned to the car.

Alice stood by the car looking furious.

Betty looked as though she was ready to argue with her mother, but Jughead decided to step between them with the piece of fabric.

"Betty found this by the creek." he started, immediately questioning his decision to stand between them "We think it could possibly belong to Polly."

"It doesn't matter, Jug-head." Alice said, sounding defeated. "We have been asked to vacate the grounds."

"But why?" Betty asked, annoyed, stepping around Jughead to be face to face with her mother.

"Since Polly is no longer a guest of the home, our presence is considered trespassing. We were told under no uncertain terms that unless we wanted to call the cops, we were no longer welcome here."

"Then we should call the police." Betty said, pulling out her phone.

"Elizabeth Cooper, we are not getting the police involved in this!" Alice said, her voice coming out rushed and agitated.

"Why not?" Betty asked her

"Because Greendale is just a hop, skip, and a jump back to Riverdale where the walls have ears. We don't want people to know."

"To know Polly is missing?" Betty argued, her patience waning.

"To know Polly is pregnant!" Alice shouted, then glanced from side to side to make sure no one heard. "We need to contain this. No one outside of the people who came here in this car are to know about Polly or her...condition."

Alice reached out for Betty's hand, but she recoiled.

"It is getting dark anyway." Alice said, pointing to the sky. The clouds were heavy and the world was slowly graying out around them. "We will find another way to find her, Betty. Trust that we know what's best for you."

Jughead was having to suppress a laugh of sarcasm. It was his experience in life that parents, especially Riverdale parents, were not well practiced in knowing what was in the best interests of their kids.

Betty looked as though she was ready to come back with another biting remark when her father returned with a small box of what was apparently Polly's things.

"Let's go." He said, shoving the box in the car trunk, returning to the passenger's side.

It was a very long, quiet ride back to Riverdale. Betty folded her arms and stared out the window, making Jughead feel more isolated than he had felt in awhile.

_Was she mad I tried to intervene between her and her mother? Maybe I shouldn't have, but I couldn't just stand there and let Betty be hurt by her mother's words._

Jughead spent a long time worrying about this, his thoughts only interrupted by a question.

"Where are we dropping you off, Jug-head?" Alice asked

"Umm, Pop's." Jughead said, grateful it was only a minute or so away. "There is a cheeseburger waiting for me."

"Very well." Alice said, turning onto the road that Pop's was at the end of.

Once Alice pulled up to the doors, she turned her head to Jughead.

"Here you go. Thank you for your help today."

"No problem." Jughead responded, not sure what help he had been exactly.

Jughead tried to look at Betty, to see if there was a way he could say goodbye to her without actually having to say the words in front of her parents.

"Actually Mom, I think I will stay and have a burger with Jughead." Betty said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

Jughead smiled. He was flooded with relief in knowing that she wasn't mad at him.

"Betty, I don't think that is a good idea." Hal started, but Alice looked over at him with hate in her eyes.

"It's been a long day, I think Betty deserves a little time with Jughead." Alice told her husband. "Don't forget your curfew, Elizabeth."

"I won't." Betty said, slamming the car door and charging away from the car. 

With one last look to Betty's parents, Jughead got out of the car and walked towards Pop's, wondering what was going to happen next. 

 


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Between 1x06 and 1x07: Immediately following chapter 29

Betty was fuming as she walked towards Pop's with Jughead. They went back to the Sisters to search for Polly, but her parents were only doing it to "control and contain" a shameful situation. How could her family be like this? She always thought of her family as one with issues, but at least they cared about each other. Now that didn't even seem to be true. Betty wanted to go off on her parents. She wanted to yell at them until they cared more about her and sister's well being than the family reputation.

But Betty knew that wouldn't have worked out in her favor. She might have yelled and screamed, but she would have just been dismissed by her parents and locked away in her room at best. Actually, her parents might have tried to find her a room with the Sisters if she stepped too far over the line. If Jughead hadn't been there, she might have said something to her mother she couldn't take back. If Jughead hadn't been there, she might not have been able to come back to Riverdale with them, and she might not have wanted to.

She looked over at Jughead, now. He looked oddly uncomfortable, his hands shoved into his pockets as he leaned against the door to push it open. Not that she blamed him, time with her parents could make anyone uncomfortable. He had been so supportive while she tried to find her sister, even when her parents weren't. And now they were alone, heading into their favorite hang out.

The two of them headed towards what was considered amongst their friend group to be Jughead's booth. Each took a side of the booth, sliding in and not saying a word to each other.

Betty wasn't sure where to start. She wasn't sure if she should be apologizing or just trying to change the subject.

She didn't have to think on this long, as an older waitress walked over to their booth.

"What'll be kids?" the waitress asked, pulling out her notepad to write down their order.

"A double cheeseburger with everything, onion rings, and a…" Jughead started, then looked over at Betty "a black and white shake."

"And for you dear?" she turned to Betty to ask.

"Same." Betty replied, barely having paid attention to what Jughead ordered besides the shake.

The waitress looked at her skeptically and then walked away.

Jughead looked at Betty, impressed look on his face.

"What?" Betty asked.

"Nothing. Just since when does Betty Cooper order a double cheeseburger and onion rings  _and_  a shake?" Jughead asked, leaning in as though he were interrogating her.

He was smiling at her, which made her want to smile back at him. As much as Betty wanted to, however, to smile and come up with a witty answer, her heart was too downtrodden for it.

"Since living with my family is taking more of my life energy than grilled chicken and celery can replenish." Betty answered him, hoping her honesty wasn't too much for him.

Jughead sighed, his smile disappearing. He looked at her with what Betty guessed was sympathy. From most people, it would seem like pity, but it didn't feel that way coming from Jughead.

"I'm sorry we didn't find Polly today." Jughead told her, turning his gaze away from her to look down at his hands. "But we will find her."

Jughead's certainty was surprising to Betty. How could he be so sure when things seem so impossible?

"I'm not sure we can." Betty said, hearing the thickness in her voice. "Especially since my parents think it would be easier if we didn't find her."

Betty could feel herself screaming inside her head. How could this be her life? She put her hands over her face, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill.

She heard Jughead immediately jumping up and sliding over to her side of the booth.

His arms wrapped around her. Betty wasn't quite sure why, but it felt as though this was just what she needed right now. She leaned in closer to him, her head resting close to his neck.

"Your parents don't know what they want." he said, rubbing his hand against her arm. "They can't get outside of who they think they should be to accept what is happening right in front of them."

Betty sobbed, tears not quite coming yet. The logic of his words making her feel like this situation was more than just impossible.

"We will do it." Jughead tried to reassure her. "We will organize a search party tomorrow through Eversgreen Forest, whether you parents like it or not."

Betty leaned up but didn't try to break their embrace.

"How can we organize a search party for someone when people can't know that she's…"

"We will figure it out." Jughead said, moving one of his hands to stroke her cheek, still absent of tears "If nothing else, we can just ask people we trust to help us. Like Kevin and Veronica and Archie."

Betty nodded. She moved her hands away from her face. Jughead was willing to organize a search party to find her sister? The guy who boasted fact that he only considered few people close friends was willing to gather up people to search for Polly? She couldn't believe how much effort Jughead was putting into trying to cheer her up. Sure, he has never been one to sit back and let her cry, but he has never tried this hard. He has never embraced her like this. He has never held her while she felt like her world was falling apart. Her heart was flooding with gratitude.

"And of course, the people who are too dumb to realize she is pregnant, like the guys on the football team."

Betty giggled and Jughead smiled. Somehow, Betty was feeling better.

The waitress cleared her throat causing Betty and Jughead to jump and break apart.

"Here's your food." she said, placing the plates down in front of them and walking away.

Betty took a look. It looked incredibly delicious. It also looked like way too much food.

"What was I thinking? I can't eat all of this!" Betty exclaimed, picking up an onion ring to eat.

Jughead smiled. It was as if he were hoping for this reaction from her.

_He probably was._ Betty thought.

"Well I would be more than happy to take some of your delicious burger off your hands." Jughead teased, as though reading her mind once again.

Betty pushed the burger towards him, smiling. Jughead can always be trusted to help out with an abundance of food.

As Betty and Jughead started digging into their meal, Sheriff Keller arrived.

_The Sheriff. I am so glad he is here. Maybe I can finally get some answers._

"Excuse me a second, Jug?" Betty said, gesturing to him that she would like out of the booth.

Jughead scooted out of the booth to let her through. She slid out of the booth and walked straight over to the Sheriff, who had just occupied a seat at the counter top.

_I should tell the Sheriff about Polly. That would really show my mother what is right and wrong._

She approached the Sheriff with a new determination.

"Sheriff Keller?" Betty started, feeling as though she were preparing for a long interrogation.

"Betty, Jughead. Hello." the Sheriff replied, turning to face the two of them.

Betty looked over. Jughead was standing behind her, looking concerned.

"You guys staying out of trouble this evening?" the Sheriff asked, taking a sip of a cup of coffee.

"Always, Sheriff." Betty said, taking the seat next to him.

"Good, good." he said, trying to turn away from them.

"Umm, actually." Betty said, barely a whisper and reaching out for the Sheriff's arm. "We were wondering..."

Jughead shook his head. He was warning her not to talk to the Sheriff about Polly. Why not though? Her parents weren't going to. And didn't he as the representative of the law in Riverdale have a right to know that one of its citizens is missing?

But that is not why she wanted to tell him. She wanted to punish her mother. Betty knew this wasn't a good enough reason to go against her mother's wishes. At least not yet.

Sheriff Keller looked at her, waiting for her to finish her thought.

"...what you could tell us about Jason's car?" Betty continued, as though this were her intention the entire time.

Jughead nodded, though it was clear that he had no idea what she was about to say to him.

"Not much, unfortunately." the Sheriff complied. "I am very grateful you kids found the car and reported it to me, but because the car was destroyed…"

"How did that happened?" Betty interrupted, now focused on Jason's murder investigation.

"Torched." the Sheriff replied. "My team and I arrived at the scene about an hour after you gave us the tip and the car was ablaze. All evidence that you guys took pictures of, gone."

"How is that possible?" Jughead interjected. "It took us about 30 minutes to get to you. How could the car be destroyed in such a short span of time?"

"We don't know for sure. The Arson unit said the car had been on fire for at least an hour before we arrived on the scene."

_That doesn't make any sense._ Betty thought.

"But who could have gotten there so fast?" Betty asked.

"We have our theories." the Sheriff replied, Betty noting his quick glance at Jughead. "One of them being that the two of you were not alone when you found the car."

"Like someone was already there?' Betty asked. She wasn't sure how that could be possible. Who would have even know they were there? She didn't even tell her parents where she was going.

"Or you were followed and the person who followed you waited until you were gone to set the car on fire."

Betty looked over at Jughead, confusion apparent on his face.

"Here is your order, Sheriff." the waitress said, handing the Sheriff a large bag. "Tell Kevin I said Hello."

"Will do, Joan." the Sheriff said, tipping his hat to her. "See you kids later."

The Sheriff hurried out the door before Betty could think to stop him.

"I wonder who he thinks followed us." Betty said, walking back over to the booth.

"I don't know. He didn't sound too convinced that we were being followed." Jughead admitted, sliding back to the seat next to her.

"Well, that is the only explanation that makes sense." Betty said, grabbing another onion ring.

"It is." Jughead said, taking a quick drink of his shake "And whoever they are knew we were looking for evidence and came prepared. There wasn't enough time between our departure and the Sheriff's arrival to make a pit stop for gasoline."

"And if that is true, the follower thinks we are getting close to solving Jason's murder."

Jughead nodded, biting into his cheeseburger.

"Most of the town was at the Variety show. Maybe we can get ahold of the guest list. See if there are any notable names missing." Betty suggested, drinking her milkshake.

"We could also check at the stop and fill and see if anyone came there with a gas can last night." Jughead brainstormed out loud.

The two of them continued to bounce ideas off each other and eat, unaware of the passage of time.

It was about 2 hours later when Betty finally thought to check her phone. She had a missed text message from her mother.

"My mother said she was on her way about 10 minutes ago. She could be here any minute." Betty said, scrambling for her purse. She pulled a twenty out of her purse to lay on the counter.

"I can get it, Betts." Jughead said, reaching for his wallet.

Betty looked at him surprised.

"I always pay." Betty said, sounding confused. Why was Jughead suddenly willing to pay for not just himself, but the both of them?

"Oh, right." Jughead said, sounding just as confused by his own actions as she was.

They both slid out of the booth and walked out the door.

Her mother hadn't shown up yet, so the two of them stood in the parking lot in silence. The both stared at the road. Betty wasn't quite sure how to break the silence now that they were no longer discussing the investigation.

"I guess I will see you at school tomorrow." Jughead said, turning towards her.

Betty was filled with dread at once.

"School." Betty said, feeling defeated by the very idea of it. "I am not sure I am ready for school."

_I am not ready to deal with Polly's absence or Cheryl's teasing or even the concerned questions of Veronica, Archie, and Kevin. I just wish there was a way that things could just stay between me and Jughead. When it comes to Polly's absence...and maybe other things._

Jughead nodded, but looked confused.

"I know I said we should talk to everyone about organizing a search party, but we don't have to tell them...what happened this weekend." Jughead said, clearly trying to inject multiple meanings into his words. "We could just go it alone. Might be easier that way. Sometimes when too many people get involved, it gets distracting..."

_Is Jughead rambling? Why is he rambling?_

Betty looked over at him, seeing how nervous he was.  _What could he be so nervous about?_

Betty stepped closer to him and touched his arm. He looked down at her hand on his arm, as though he were surprised to find it there.

"I think we should organize the search party." Betty reassured him. "Not that I don't think we could search an entire forest after school before dark by ourselves."

Jughead chuckled.

_There. He is feeling better now. When Jughead is happy, the world seems a bit more hopeful._

"Search party it is." Jughead said, straightening himself up. "We are gonna find her Betty. Together."

Betty stared at Jughead for a moment. He was so sure. He believed it so much, she wanted to believe him.

These past few days had changed so much between them. Jughead had been there for her through all of this emotional mess with her family. Betty had never thought it could be possible. She never thought that there could be someone there who knew all of the horrors her family life had to offer and still look at her the same way. Not just the same way, Jughead looked at her like she was a star. He saw in her things that Betty didn't believe of herself.

Betty was consumed with the need to hold him. She wrapped her arms around him, allowing her head to rest against his chest. Jughead didn't recoil as she thought he might, he threw one arm around her neck and the other around her back pulling them closer together.

They stood there for a moment, locked in embrace, letting the feeling of relief and comfort wash over the both of them.

"Jug." Betty whispered, not wanting to break away from him. "Thank you."

"I think I can handle a hug every once in awhile." he joked

"No." she whispered, moving her head to look at him.

Jughead moved so he could look her in the eye, his hand still resting on the back of her neck.

"Thank you for being here for me." she said, realizing how badly she needed to tell him this. "I don't know how I would have gotten through all of this without you."

Jughead smiled slightly as he moved his hand to stroke her cheek.

"I'm always gonna be here when you need me." he said. "You can count on me, Betts."

_Jughead has always been here. Always been someone I could rely on._

"I know." Betty replied

_He has always been there to make things better. Him just being here right now makes things better._

She moved her hand to his cheek, her fingers tingling at the sensation of touching his face.

"I didn't know before, but I do now."

Jughead eyes were filled with such hope. Betty couldn't stop herself from feeling that same kind of hope. She felt her heart racing. This felt like such a dizzying moment, the two of them with the neon lights illuminating their faces. And there stood Jughead, looking more handsome than Betty had ever realized before.

_I wish he would kiss me again._ Betty thought. Even though they were in a parking lot, her mother due to arrive at any moment, Betty was desperate for Jughead to close the space between the two of them. She felt him leaning closer to her, her eyes closed preparing to get lost in thoughts of Jughead. Suddenly, their solitude was interrupted by a set of headlights illuminated the parking lot. The two of them broke apart, not quite prepared for the interruption.

Alice Cooper waved at the two of them from inside her car. Jughead looked over at Betty with an annoyed expression in his eyes.

"See you at school." Betty said, a quick touch of his arm, before getting in the car with her mother.

"Right." Jughead said, clearing his throat and waving goodbye to her.

Betty got into the car with her mother, buckled up her seat belt and prepared to head home. She was still worried about Polly, but at least she didn't feel alone in that worry. Jughead was there to worry with her. Jughead would be there to help her find her sister. Jughead would be there for her no matter what.

And with that thought Betty smiled, desperate for tomorrow when she could see Jughead again.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x07: Jughead takes a nap after the scene in the student lounge

Jughead woke to sound of his cell phone ringing. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and reached into his pocket for his phone. He had just received a text message.

**Archie: Hey dude, where did you go? Did you talk to your dad? BTW got some of the guys from the team to help with the search party today. What time?**

Jughead sighed, remembering that he had volunteered to help gather a search party to find Polly. Turns out Archie had been way more helpful in that department than Jughead had.

Instead of joining the gang for lunch, Jughead had decided to catch some sleep on the lumpy couch in the Blue and Gold offices. Not that napping was out of the ordinary for him, but he usually tried to be awake for designated meal times. But he knew he needed a good restful sleep if he was going to deal with his life. Now that Archie knew that he was living at the school, he could no longer pretend that this wasn't an issue. He couldn't just escape to the school and camp out in the closet, Archie would be keeping an eye for him now. Archie wanted to help Jughead get his dad back on track.

 _A daunting task if there ever was one._ Jughead thought as he sat up on the couch.

Archie had somehow convinced his father to give Jughead's dad, FP, another chance to work for him. While Jughead wanted to be filled with gratitude to his old pal and his dad, Jughead was not ready to face his father. Especially on the limited amount of sleep he had gotten over the past few days.

If he was going to be seeing his dad today, he needed to be at the top of his game. The nap left him feeling almost well rested. Too well rested. This realization made Jughead see that something must be wrong. He had a feeling he had missed out on more than just Tuna Melt Monday in the cafeteria, the normal witty banter between Kevin and Veronica or Archie's latest music versus football struggles. Jughead checked the time on his phone.

1:37.

Jughead threw his head back against the couch. He had not only slept through lunch but through half of his geometry class.

 _And what a shame that was._ Jughead couldn't help but think sarcastically. P _ythagoras is probably rolling over in his grave at this very moment._

He hadn't meant to be gone so long. Archie was clearly concerned. Before he could stop himself, Jughead wondered if Betty was concerned.

Jughead's thoughts were interrupted as he felt his stomach growl. Skipping lunch had really taken a toll on him. Jughead thought longingly of delicious foods, but all he had with him was a bag of corn chips. He lamented his skipping of lunch now. If he had gone to lunch, he would have been able to eat his chips and share some of Betty's food which she somehow always had too much of. The bag of chips seemed to be taunting him.

He grabbed the bag anyway from his backpack.  _Some food is better than nothing._ Jughead tried to convince himself.

He was most of the way through the bag of chips, hating himself for not eating slower, when he heard the Blue and Gold office door open.

Betty was walking through the door, carrying a container. Jughead had to mentally kick himself for thinking of her as a vision.  _Betty and food. Could there be a better combination?_

As Betty closed the door behind her, Jughead began to feel nervous. He hadn't seen her since accidentally revealing to their friends that he and Betty were...closer than they had been. That they were...whatever they were. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her about it, but he worried she might be angry.

"Hey, Juggie. " Betty started, walking over to the couch. "Where were you? You missed lunch."

_Well of course she is not gonna seem angry. She is Betty._

"Uh, here." Jughead responded, stretching. "I didn't get much sleep last night so I decided to skip lunch and catch some z's."

"You skipped lunch?" Betty said, sounding skeptical. "You must have been seconds away from death in order for you to skip lunch."

Jughead laughed.  _Not quite death, but definitely a task I would rather avoid._

"I had very firm plans to eat through the rest of my classes." Jughead explained, popping the last of his chips into his mouth.

"Speaking of classes, shouldn't you be in Geometry right now?"

Betty blushed.

"Yeah...but I was worried about you." Betty told him, sitting beside him on the couch. "You didn't seem like yourself this morning."

"How so?" Jughead asked, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"I don't know. More tired than usual. Almost distracted." Betty pointed out.

_Of course I was distracted. I had just told Archie that I was homeless. Wallowing in self pity takes a lot of brain power._

Jughead didn't say any of these thought aloud; Archie knowing about his situation was enough for one day.

"Yeah, I guess so." Jughead replied, realizing that wasn't a real answer.

Betty looked as though she wanted to say something, but seemed to decide against it.

_She has always been able to see more than what is on the surface. I am amazed I have gotten this far without Betty figuring it out herself. Being guarded has its advantages, I guess. Like being able to hide you're homeless from the girl you like._

Betty looked down at her lap and then appeared to have a realization.

"I almost forgot." Betty said, shoving the container over to him. "My lunch leftovers."

Jughead stared at her for a moment. He briefly wondered if Betty had the power to predict food shortages in his life.

"You always eat whatever I don't and I figured why throw them away when I could just give them to you when I saw you." Betty replied to his skeptical look.

Jughead could have kissed her. Literally, it was taking everything he had not to kiss her in that moment. He might have kissed her in spite of his worries about his earlier behavior if he wasn't so hungry.

"Thanks, Betts." he said, accepting the container from her and opening it. It smelled heavenly. "What is it?"

"Chicken Pot Pie. My mom made some last night. She always makes way too much of everything."

Jughead's stomach growled once again. He knew if he didn't start eating it soon, his stomach might take on a life of its own and swallow it whole. Jughead grabbed the fork that Betty had left in the bowl and started eating.

Betty smiled at him. Jughead couldn't stop himself from wondering why. Why did she seem so happy to bring him food? Also, why did she always have food for him to take?

The answers to these questions were simple. Betty liked helping people. Big or small, no project or need was outside of Betty's wheelhouse. Whether it was reading to the blind, setting up canned food drives for the poor, driving the elderly to doctor's appointments, or making sure to bring a little extra food for her old pal Juggie, Betty could be counted on to be there.

This thought made Jughead's stomach turn. If he wasn't so hungry, he might have stopped eating. Did Betty think of him as a project? Was he just another blind guy or little old lady to help?

_No. I can't be just a project to her. Betty has leaned on me for support. She hasn't just tried to take care of me. She has let me comfort her and hold her. Hell, she even let me kiss her._

Then Jughead remembered his nerves from earlier. He was less concerned now with being a project and more being the guy that told everyone that they were something that she didn't want them to be.

"Hey, listen. I am sorry about earlier." Jughead told her, shoving the pie into his mouth.

"Sorry?" Betty asked, seeming confused. "What do you have to apologize for?"

Jughead swallowed hard. He already regretted bringing it up. Maybe he should have just pretended that nothing happened in the student lounge today. He did not put his arm around her in front of their friends. He did not hold her in the parking lot of Pop's. He did not kiss her in her bedroom.

 _No._ Jughead told himself.  _I can't keep lying to myself. I need to know where she stands._

"Earlier in the student lounge, when I..." Jughead started, feeling as though his face were on fire. "We haven't really discussed it, but Archie noticed and had some questions."

_Way to avoid getting to the point, Ughead._

Betty nodded though, clearly figuring out what he wasn't saying.

"Yeah, Veronica noticed too." Betty said, smiling.

_Veronica noticed. And Betty didn't seem to mind. Maybe there is hope._

"What did you say to her?" Jughead asked. This was the closest they come to talking about what happened between them and he wanted to keep the conversation going.

"Just that you've really been there for me with all this stuff going on with Polly." Betty said.

Jughead nodded, afraid that if he spoke in that moment, he would fail to hide his disappointment. He wasn't sure what he was expecting Betty to tell Veronica.

 _Oh, I've realized that Jughead Jones is my soulmate. Archie who? Yeah right._ Jughead thought, bitterly.  _I'm never gonna be that guy for her._

"I'm not sure I can ever thank you enough for how supportive you've been." Betty said, leaning closer to him and grabbing his hand.

 _Gratitude? Is she merely responding to me out of a combination of vulnerability and gratitude._ Jughead wondered as he stared at the hand that was now holding his.

_Makes more sense than the alternative. Gratitude for being emotionally supported sounds a lot more logical than her being actually interested in me. We haven't kissed since her bedroom, maybe what she needs is a hand to hold through all of this nonsense with her family._

Part of him wants to do it, to be the hand that she holds. But Jughead knows he cares about her too much and that if he continued to be close to her, it would break him when she didn't need him anymore.

"I'll always be there when you need me, Betts" Jughead decided to say, pulling his hand away from her. "You don't need to thank me."

Betty looked immediately hurt by the removal of his hand. It took everything Jughead had to not just give his hand back to her.

_I have to choose myself sometimes. I have to protect my heart, even if that look her eyes makes me wish I could disappear into the walls._

"Besides," Jughead said, trying to change the subject. "I just happened to be there when things started. I am sure that Veronica or Kevin…"  _or Archie_  "would have been there for you too."

Then Betty nodded, as if she had just realized something.

Betty sat up a little straighter, disappointment leaving her eyes.

She reached for his hand again. As much as he thought he should, he didn't pull away. He didn't have the heart to resist something he wanted so much.

"I am sure they would have, but there was a reason it was you." Betty bit her lip and started to run her thumb across his hand. "I'm glad it was you who was there, going through everything with me."

Jughead had to fight off a smile.

 _Not a declaration of romance, but it was something._ Jughead thought.

"Although, if you would rather I not. If you think I should talk to someone else..." Betty started, her eyes focusing on a particular spot on the floor.

"No. I wouldn't." Jughead admitted to her, feeling as though he were confessing one of his deepest secrets. He wanted to be the one that was there for her. He wanted to be there to support her when she was feeling weak. He wanted to stand beside her when she was feeling strong. He was so desperate to be there, if she wanted him to be.

And it seemed like she wanted him to be.

She looked up and smiled at him, his words being enough to make things more solid between them.

The two of them sat together for a moment, just looking at their joined hands.

"So I talked to Veronica" Betty started, her hand still holding Jughead's. "she said the Pussycats are gonna join the search party."

"Great." Jughead said, shaking the euphoric feelings away and grabbing another bite of Betty's leftovers. "Archie gathered some football bros. What time do we want to meet at the forest?"

"Well, River Vixen practice is undetermined. It's been cancelled the past couple weeks because Cheryl was grounded, but now that she is back, it might be on. I guess Veronica and I could just skip it. So right after school, meet at Eversgreen at 3:00?" Betty asked

Jughead cleared his throat, realizing that this time didn't work for him.

"I can tell Archie and the football bros that, but I will be there a little late." Jughead told her.

"Why?" Betty asked. "Is everything ok?"

_Well that's a complicated question._

"Yes. No. Well kinda both." Jughead answered, or rather didn't answer.

Betty moved her hand to his arm.

"What's going on, Jug?" Betty asked. "Is this why you have been distracted today?"

Jughead nodded briefly.

"I know I've been leaning on you all weekend, but you can talk to me about things too." Betty reassured him.

 _Can I though?_ Jughead wondered. He had never really talked about his family problems with anyone except Archie before. He wouldn't have even talked to Archie about it, if Archie didn't know about FP getting fired from his dad's company then busting him this morning for living in the closet under the stairs. It might be easier for him if Betty didn't know about his past.

But the way she is sitting there, staring at him with eyes that seem to look directly into his heart. He had never felt this way about anyone before. He felt compelled to reveal every secret he had ever kept about himself.

 _Maybe just the basics for now._ Jughead told himself. _I feel like she can handle the basics. That I can handle the basics._

"I have to go home to talk to my dad." Jughead told her.

"Is he ok?" Betty asked, looking concerned.

"Another complicated question." Jughead said unintentionally. "Archie talked to his dad about giving my dad a second chance at Andrews' Construction. Mr. Andrews agreed, but Archie thinks I should make sure my dad will accept the job."

Betty nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you think you can convince him?" Betty asked.

"I don't know." Jughead told her honestly. "It is not like my dad has the best track record of taking my advice."

_Otherwise I would be living at home with my sister, mom, sober father and that dog I had been begging for since the age of three._

"But I have to go after school to talk to him." Jughead finished. "So I will meet up with you guys at around 4."

"Why don't we just ask everyone to meet us there at 4:00?" Betty suggested, pulling out her cell phone.

"It's ok, Betts. I don't want you wasting time you could be using finding your sister waiting on me." Jughead told her

Betty reached for his hand, grabbing it with a firm grip.

"I'm not doing this without you, Jug." she told him with a determined look on her face. "If you can't be there til 4, we will start at 4."

Jughead knew there was no convincing her otherwise.

"Ok. 4:00 it is." Jughead said, smiling as he finished off the last of Betty's lunch.

"Ok." Betty agreed, smiling as she began typing what Jughead assumed was a group message.

"I hope it is worth it." Jughead told her.

"The search party or talking to your dad?" Betty looked at him, questioningly.

 _Both._  Jughead thought _Definitely both._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still finding myself overwhelmed by the response to this fic. Over 4300 views and 160 Kudos! I never would have imagined. Thank you everyone for taking the time to read, like, and/or comment. I appreciate all the love for this fic and I hope that it continues to be well received.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x07 Betty seeks out Jughead after the Cooper press conference.

Betty wasn't sure things could get much worse.

Not only had her sister been missing for the past 2 and a half days, but now rather than devoting her time to searching for Polly, Betty was having to take part in a press conference called for by her parents. She had been asked by her mother to stand by her parents as they (more specifically her mother) used her sister's pregnancy and hospitalization as an alibi for why Polly didn't murder her boyfriend. Betty felt sick at the hypocrisy of it all. Her parents were more than happy to hide Polly away when she was nothing but an embarrassment to them, but now that she is being accused of murder, she suddenly mattered to them. Her mother teared up as the cameras rolled while her daughter's fate was still unknown.

Betty felt powerless. She couldn't say no when her mother asked her to stand with her in front of a church to declare Polly's innocence. She didn't want people to think that she, Betty thought her sister was guilty. No matter how much she hated it, she knew that fighting her mother and not standing with her family would do more harm than good. So she stood there silent, listening to her mother tell a crowd full of reporters, police officers, random spectators, and Blossoms that her sister was pregnant and therefore couldn't have committed murder. No matter how self serving her intentions were, Alice Cooper had accomplished her goal; no one suspected Polly now.

_No one thinks Polly killed Jason but if we can't find her, then what was the point of exonerating her? To save the Coopers moral reputation?_

Thinking of her mother being in any way moral was almost too much for Betty to handle. She forced herself to grip on the railing in front of the church rather than on her own fists.

The crowds were clearing, everyone running off with their juicy story, but Betty just stood there. She wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do. She was not ready to go home yet; her parents already left to make sure they published their own story in the Riverdale Register. But what else was there to do? Everyone was gone now. Or so it felt to Betty.

She pulled on the railing as she groaned in frustration. Betty's family had always been eccentric, but the past few weeks she felt as though she didn't understand them at all. It was like she sprung into being despite her surroundings, in a way that even she couldn't understand. These thoughts of how different she was from her family made her feel lonelier than she had ever felt.

_But I'm not alone. I don't have to be alone in this._

Once again, she found herself feeling insanely grateful that Jughead had been there. When they were together, working together on the Blue and Gold and to solve Jason's murder, she felt empowered. She felt strong and capable. She felt as though there was nothing that she couldn't handle. And most of all, she felt supported and cared for by someone who didn't expect anything from her. Jughead didn't expect Betty to be a puppet of his belief. He didn't want someone to stand beside him while he flouted his own agenda. Jughead just wanted her to be herself. When she was with Jughead, she felt like she was enough, a feeling she had never really felt before.

Betty let go of the railing, letting her thoughts of Jughead's support flood through her. Suddenly, the world didn't seem as flawed or cruel.

Now that she was thinking about him, Betty's eyes started to scan the people that remained of the previously large crowd. She had spent a lot of the press conference focused on Jughead; the look of sympathy in his eyes was the only thing that kept her steady during the farce. Looking at him kept her from wanting to run away from the stage. But she had lost him in the crowd since the conference ended. There were no immediate trace of the beanie clad guy.

_Where's Jughead?_ Betty found herself wondering.  _Did he leave? Why wouldn't he have said goodbye?_

Betty felt her heart sink. Why would he leave without a word? Not that he had to say something before he left, but it wasn't really like him to just leave. Even if it was mostly just out of his desire to have the last word, Jughead usually saw things through to the end. And now that they were...more than friends, Betty thought he might have stuck around just to make sure everything was ok with her. Although this is new to him. New to both of them, really.

"Hey Jug!" Archie yelled from behind Betty.

Betty quickly turned around to see that Jughead had been standing about 30 ft away from her, his camera pointed into the woods. She smiled. If she had just bothered to turn around she wouldn't have been worried.

Archie ran over to Jughead, pulling his attention over to him.

"My dad and I are heading back. Do you want a ride or…?" Archie asked.

Jughead, rather than answering, was looking around in several directions. As soon as his eyes landed on Betty, he stopped moving.

Betty felt herself smile when his eyes fell on her. The first time she had felt like smiling in hours. He returned the smile, not bothering to answer Archie.

"Jug, I kinda need to know." Archie said, trying to pull Jughead's focus.

Jughead shook his head and look back over at his friend.

"Uh, no. That's ok, I'm just gonna…" Jughead's sentence trailed off as his focus went back to Betty.

Betty noticed Archie glance from her to Jughead.

"Alright. I will talk to you later." Archie replied with a conflicted expression on his face. He walked away, taking one last questioning look at Jughead as he did.

As Archie walked towards his father's truck, Jughead started walking towards Betty. She stepped off the church's porch, deciding to meet him halfway between where they were both standing.

"Hey." Jughead started, shoving his hands into his coat pockets.

"Hi." Betty replied, feeling both nervous and comforted by his presence.

"How are you?" Jughead asked, his eyes flooding with concern.

Betty sighed. She should have known he would ask, but she wasn't prepared to answer.

"I'm trying, Jug. I really am. It's just...I feel like everything..." Betty started, not being able to vocalize what was going on inside her head. Her eyes drifted to the grass.

Jughead nodded as he reached over and put his hand on her arm. He didn't need to hear her speak to know how she was feeling. Betty knew Jughead didn't need to hear the words for him to realize just how broken she was feeling inside.

"Do you want to take another look around?" Jughead asked, looking over at a section of the woods they hadn't gotten to in their search. "there is still an hour or so before it gets dark."

Betty shook her head. The day had left her feeling defeated.

"I think we should just go." Betty replied. "If Polly were here, I think someone would have seen her by now."

"Ok." Jughead said, nodding. He removed his hand from her shoulder and turned back towards the road leading to the church.

The two of them left the church and started walking in the general direction of town.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, Jughead keeping in step with Betty who was still drowning herself in questions about her sister.

_Where could she be? Is she ok? Is the baby ok? Even if I do find her, is there even a possibility I could convince her to come home?_

Betty felt her fingers curl into a fist.

Today was pointless. All going in the woods did was tip off the Blossoms of the search and force her family to acknowledge Polly publicly for the first time since her hospitalization. They were no where closer to finding Polly than they were this morning when just Betty and a handful of her friends knew about what had happened. Betty had never felt so powerless.

She wasn't sure when the digging into her palm started, she usually didn't even notice she was doing it until the scars on her hand opened up. The only reason she noticed this time was because she felt Jughead's hand brush up against hers as they walked side by side.

Betty involuntarily shivered. She wasn't sure when she started responding so physically to Jughead, but it felt like jolts of electricity would run through her veins every time he would go near her.

_I wonder if he feels this too. It seems like he does at least._

"Betty, where do you want to go?" Jughead asked, stopping in the middle of the road. "Do you want to grab some dinner or…?"

"I'm not hungry." Betty replied in a rush.

_Relax._ Betty thought to herself, then she loosened the grip on her hand. She didn't want it to start bleeding in front of Jughead. She wasn't ready to explain to him that side of herself yet.

"Ok." Jughead said. "We can just head back to town."

Betty sighed.

The two of them started walking again, arms held loosely at their sides.

Her mind was still over crowded with thoughts, but Jughead just being there, not asking anything of her, helped for some reason. She wasn't sure what it was about him, but it made all the difference to her to have him there. She was so glad she waited for him to come back from meeting up with his dad before they all went looking for Polly.

Betty suddenly felt terrible. Jughead had been there for her all day long, and she had forgotten that he was going through something too.

"So how did it go with your dad?" Betty asked, feeling terrible for not asking sooner. "Did you get a chance to talk to him?"

"I did." Jughead replied, sounding hesitant to talk.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." Betty told him, not wanting Jughead to feel uncomfortable.

"No." Jughead shook his head. "It's just that I'm, still adjusting. I've never really talked about this before."

"Never?" Betty asked. "I am pretty sure 50% of my conversations revolve around my family."

She looked over at him, and he seemed uncomfortable. Betty didn't know exactly what was happening with his dad, but it felt a lot more serious than her mother's condescension about her skirt length.

"I have talked to Archie in the past a bit about overall feelings but not day to day issues." Jughead told her.

Betty nodded. Day to day issues. They had been friends for years and she had no idea that Jughead was going through problems with his family, let alone that affected him so frequently. How had she been so wrapped up in Archie that she couldn't see what was going on with Jughead?

"So what did he say? Your dad?" Betty asked, feeling determined to know more about his home life.

"It's not really what he said." Jughead explained. "I talked, he retorted in his usual standoffish manner. I got angry that he didn't listen and I left."

_How can Jughead's father treat him this way? All Jughead is for his family to reunite, even I can see that with everything going on in my life._

"So, he is not going to take Mr. Andrews' up on his offer?" Betty asked, finding herself annoyed at Jughead's father.

"It doesn't seem like it." Jughead replied, looking at the ground. "I shouldn't be surprised. Since when has my opinion mattered?"

Betty felt a twinge of sadness.  _How could Jughead think his opinion doesn't matter? Of course it matters. It matters to me and it should matter to his father!_

But instead of saying all this, Betty reached over and laced her fingers in his. Jughead clasped her hand, holding on tighter than she expected him to.

"Maybe your dad will come around." Betty said, trying to smile at him but not being able to do so. "You could try to talk to him again when you get home."

"Yeah." Jughead said, his eyes moving from their hands to the ground. "I don't…"

Jughead's sentence was cut off by a crash of thunder and a sudden downpour of rain. The cold water causing Betty to shriek as she pulled her hood over her head.

"I didn't know it was supposed to rain today." Jughead shouted, the rain louder than his normal talking voice.

"I thought it was supposed to be earlier in the day." Betty shouted back, clutching Jughead's hand tighter.

The two of them started running, knowing there was no way they were gonna make it out of the rain before getting thoroughly soaked.

Betty and Jughead laughed as they ran hand and hand through the streets of Riverdale. As they ran, Betty observed their town slowing down as the rain consumed it. Families were slamming their doors shut to keep the rain out. Businesses were locking their doors, preparing to close for the night. Cars were slowing to a crawl through the streets. The rest of the town seem to be hiding from the storm while Betty and Jughead were still very much going through it.

They soon had to stop because they ran out of breath. Luckily for them, the rain decided it should slow down as well.

"Short but sudden downpours: our town, ladies and gentlemen." Jughead snarked, extending his arm out to gesture to the street.

Betty laughed, pulling off her hood to better see her surroundings. Jughead looked elated. The rain didn't seem to damper his spirits, rather he looked almost at home as the rain continued.

"What were you saying? Before the storm interrupted?" Betty asked, tugging him under a tree for coverage from the rain.

Jughead's smiled faded.

"Uh, I don't remember." Jughead told her, his eyes darting away from her.

She looked at him skeptically. Jughead just didn't forget things.

He looked back at her and sighed.

"I remember. But I am not ready to talk about it yet." Jughead rephrased.

"Ok." Betty said nodding. As much as she wanted to know what was going on with him, she didn't want to make him say things he wasn't ready to say.

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just…" Jughead started, then sighed.

This was not like Jughead. He was never at a loss for words.

"It's really ok, Jug." Betty reassured him, squeezing his hand that was still intertwined with hers. "I understand. You don't have to completely spill your guts to me."

She smiled at him, hoping to reassure him of this as they stepped out from under the tree's cover.

They started walking again, finally both breathing normally.

Jughead sighed deeply, staring down at his feet.

"You make me want to, though." Jughead replied, his voice ringing with the truth of it. "If I were going to say anything to anyone..."

Betty's heart soared. She couldn't believe that she could have this affect on Jughead. He was always so guarded, even around Archie. The fact that he didn't feel like he needed to be with her gave Betty more hope than she was sure Jughead knew.

"You don't have to, but I am glad you want to." Betty told him. "Although, you do a lot of things you don't have to do."

"Such as?" Jughead questioned, clearly curious what she thought.

_You didn't have to lie for Archie when he abandoned you over the summer. You didn't have to hide your home life from me and Archie because we would have been there for you. You didn't have to be the person who stood by my side when I needed someone the most._

"Hey, you didn't have to walk me home." Betty replied, letting all her other examples remain in her head.

"Uh, there's a killer on the loose, remember?" Jughead snarked at her.

Betty looked at him, trying to suppress her amusement. But the reminder that there was a killer on the loose in Riverdale brought back all those thoughts of Polly that Jughead had helped Betty temporarily calm.

_A killer is on the loose and my pregnant sister is out there alone and hurt. And it's all my fault. She was trapped at that place, but at least she was safe there. She was fed and warm and completely oblivious to the pain that they were dealing with out here in the real world. Now she could be anywhere in any condition. If it weren't for me and my need to be honest, she would be ok._

Jughead noticed that Betty was not paying attention.

"What is it?" he asked her. "I mean, besides everything?"

Betty shook her head, trying to shake away the bad feelings. She thought about just continuing down the street, pretending there was nothing deeper on her mind. But she decided she didn't have to pretend with Jughead.

Betty took a deep breath and prepared to tell him what was on her mind.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x07: Post walking Betty home, Jughead receives a phone call

Jughead found himself sitting at a booth at Pop's mere hours after walking Betty home from their search. She had said she was going to call him later, but Jughead was ashamed of how desperate he was to hear his cell phone ring.

He knew better than anyone how impossible the last few days had been for her. Finding her sister, only to discover that she was pregnant and kept in the dark about the loss of her boyfriend, Jason Blossom. Then just a day after finding her, Betty had to deal with losing Polly again. He knew she had gotten little to no sleep the last few days, wracking her brain trying to figure out where her sister could be. If Betty had fallen asleep without calling him, it was probably for the best. But still...

He hated himself for thinking it, but Jughead missed her. He had walked Betty home not long ago, but he already missed her. It seemed like his every waking moment was consumed by her and everything that was happening to her.

If he was being honest with himself though, he knew part of the reason he was so focused on Betty was because it kept him from having to think about his own life. Jughead had lied to Archie, saying that he had decided to spend the night with his dad. He wasn't sure why he lied; maybe he just wasn't ready to admit to Archie how desperate his situation had gotten. Jughead had spent months living at the Drive-In, a few weeks living at the school, and from there he didn't know where to go next. When Archie caught him this morning, Jughead was so shocked that he didn't have time to formulate a good lie to explain his presence at the school. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting when Archie found out, but was flooded with relief by his reaction. Archie didn't look at him any differently than he had the day before. Jughead's worst fear in all of this was when truth came out, people pitying him. But it didn't feel like pity coming from Archie. It felt like having his friend back again.

Jughead knew that Archie was just trying to help by offering his dad a job and Jughead a place to stay, but it wasn't that easy. Things with him and Archie were just starting to make sense again, did he really want to make things more complicated than they already had to be? Especially now that he and Betty were…

Well, they were something at least. She found him when he skipped lunch and held his hand. She kissed him as they walked through the streets of Riverdale. Jughead wasn't sure they were on exactly the same page emotionally speaking, but they seemed to be in the same chapter at the very least. They had feelings for each other and they were trying to figure them out.

Jughead practically jumped at the sound of his phone. It seemed he would never get used to the sound of it ringing.

Betty Cooper's name flashed across the screen.

Jughead scrambled to accept the call, knocking over his coffee in the process.

"Hey, Betts. Kinda late for you, isn't it?' Jughead answered, attempting to sound blase as he accepted the napkins from the waitress.

"Hey." Betty replied in a whisper. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Of course not." Jughead replied, almost laughing. He looked over at the clock in the corner. It was almost 2 am. It wasn't an illogical assumption that he could be asleep.

"I had to wait for my mom and dad to fall asleep and that took forever." Betty told him, sounding tired.

"It's no problem, Betts." Jughead reassured her, finally getting the remaining coffee cleaned up from the table. "What's up?"

"I found Polly, Jug!" Betty exclaimed yet still whispering.

"You did?" Jughead asked, moving from his casual sitting position to a more upright, attentive one. "How?"

_Did she go out without him? Did she go by herself? Why wouldn't she have asked me to come along?_

"She was hiding where she hid when she ran away the first time. Our attic." Betty whispered even lower.

_The attic? Oh, that is brilliant. I wish I had thought to hide in an attic._

"Is she ok?" Jughead asked, silently congratulating Polly. He had never really spent much time with her in the past, but Jughead was starting to think they would get along.

Betty sighed and Jughead heard the sounds of her bouncing onto her bed.

"Her leg is pretty badly scratched from jumping out the window and she seems a bit...frantic." Betty told him, her tone changing with the word 'frantic'

_Well she is a pregnant 17 year old who jumped out of a three story building she was being held captive in after discovering her fiancee was murdered._

"Can't really blame her on that front." Jughead replied, thinking frantic might be putting it mildly.

"But she is ok, Jug. My sister is ok." Betty whispered, sounding as though she were holding back tears.

"I am glad you found her." Jughead answered, hoping reminding her of this fact would stop the tears.. "Is she still there?"

"Yes, for now." Betty sighed, finally speaking at a normal volume. "I don't know what to do, Jug. She can't stay there forever."

_I could offer Polly and the baby space in my janitor's closet._ Jughead thought to himself, not sure if this would be an upgrade or a downgrade from her current circumstances.

_More cramped, but less chance of Alice Cooper barging in to take a few years off your life and ruining your day. So about the same._  Jughead guessed.

"Have you asked her what she wants to do?" Jughead asked, moving his coffee cup to the edge of the table for a refill.

"She still wants to run away to a farm upstate." Betty said, sounding annoyed. "She wants to stick to the plan she and Jason had."

_And we all know how well that turned out for him._

"That isn't the  _most_ practical plan." Jughead conceded. "But at least her fight or flight instincts are in tact."

Betty groaned and Jughead could practically see her falling back onto her bed.

"What am I going to do?" Betty asked, almost pleading. "How can I help her?"

Jughead felt his heart break a little. Betty sounded so forlorn. But what could they do? As much as Jughead liked to think that he and Betty were wise beyond their years, he realized that they were still teenagers. It is not like they could finance an apartment for Polly and the baby to stay in. Jughead couldn't even figure out a permanent solution to his housing problem. Add Polly, who would need medical care and an eventual child to the mix. How could they fix this?

"I don't know Betts." Jughead told her honestly. "I wish I did."

Betty took a deep breath. A new problem for her to deal with. They just seemed to keep coming.

"I was so focused on finding her, I didn't think about what would happen once I did." Betty confided in him. "Even when we went to break her out on Saturday. What would I have done if she had been there?"

_Her voice is breaking and she is starting to feel defeated. And when Betty was defeated, there was no hope for the rest of the world._

"You would have found a way to protect her, Betts. I believe that." Jughead told her, sitting up straighter hoping his actions would reflect in his voice.

"How can you believe that?" Betty asked.

"Because when Betty Cooper wants something to happen, she never gives up."

He could almost hear her smiling through the phone.

"You will find a way to help her now. I know it and if you need me to, I will help you find a way to help her." Jughead reassured her.

"Thanks Juggie." Betty said, her voice sounding lighter than before.

Jughead smiled. He had managed to make her feel better somehow in the midst of her chaotic life. He had no clue where this power of influence over Betty's actions came from, but he knew he must always use it to make Betty happy.

"Order's up!" one of the waitresses behind the counter shouted.

Jughead cringed.

"Order's up?" Betty questioned. "Jughead, are you at Pop's?"

Jughead practically slammed his head on the table. He had hoped the silence that usually occurred during this time at Pop's would not give him away. There was no way he was getting out of this without questions from her about why he was here at 2 am on a school night.

"Yeah. I wanted to get some late night writing in, and the coffee is plentiful." Jughead casually answered, pulling his head back off the table.

"But it is so late, Jug. Won't your dad be worried?" Betty asked.

_Even if I were living at home, I would be surprised if my dad would even notice that I wasn't there._

"My dad knows I can take care of myself." Jughead answered, hoping to avoid the question.

"Does he know where you are?" Betty inquired, using the voice she usually saved for when they were talking to suspects and leads.

_Ah, no such luck._

"Know is such a relative term." Jughead joked, knowing this wouldn't save him.

"Jug! There's a killer on the loose as you so pleasantly reminded me earlier. And you are hanging out late at night without anyone knowing where you are?!" Betty angrily stated.

"I'm hanging out at Pop's, Betts." Jughead said, mustering as much annoyance as he could into that statement. "Safest place in the world."

"Yes. But you are going to eventually leave Pop's and head home...right?" Betty questioned, clearly seeing through his sarcasm.

_When did that happen? She didn't used to be able to see right through everything I said, right? She probably gained the power of reading my mind when I gained the power to make her feel better._

_Amazing what having romantic feelings for someone can do to a person cognitively._

It was Jughead's turn to sigh. He didn't want to lie to her but he didn't want to tell her the truth either. Not about being homeless, not about why he was homeless. As much as he trusted her, his home life has always been his greatest weakness. His downfall. The thing that would make people think so much less of him than they already did. If people knew, if Betty knew, she could never see him the same way. He would stop being Jughead and start being that person who had to be looked after. He would be a burden, and soon enough Betty would realize she was wasting her time on him and give up on him. Jughead couldn't stand that thought. He wouldn't be able to handle losing her over his family and background, the one thing in his life he can't change. So he just sat there, waiting for her to put the pieces together.

"Jug?" Betty asked, her tone softer than it had been the first time.

Jughead opened his mouth, hoping something would come out.

Before he had the chance to even try to come up with an explanation, Alice Cooper's voice rang through the phone from a distance.

"Elizabeth Cooper, it is 2 am and tomorrow is a school day. Say goodnight to whomever you are talking to and go to bed."

Betty gasped, clearly shocked by her mother's appearance.

_Saved by the tyrannical rule of Alice Cooper._

"I've got to go." Betty said, sounding annoyed

"I could hear that."

"Good night, Jug. I will see you at school tomorrow." Betty told him.

"Good night, Betts." Jughead replied, ending the phone call.

The waitress left his bill on the edge of the table. Jughead figured he should probably leave before Pop and the others started asking some of the same questions Betty did.

He knew he couldn't avoid it forever. If his and Betty's future were going to go anywhere, she would have to know. But for now, he walked towards the school, grateful that tonight wasn't that night.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x07: Post meeting with the Blossoms at Pop's, Betty receives a phone call.

Betty practically stumbled into her bedroom. Who knew trying to arrange a safe life for her sister and unborn nephew or niece would be so exhausting?

Betty had just spent the past few hours talking about Polly's future. First with the Blossoms, avoiding telling them where Polly was but coming to an agreement that should get Polly in a secure place. Then, with Polly who wanted to believe that the Blossoms were being genuine with their olive branches and was actually considering taking them up on their offer for help. How could she be though? As much as Betty wanted to, she just didn't completely trust them. She told her sister as much, but Polly seemed determined to see a better side of Clifford and Penelope Blossom. Betty was still worried though. It had been weeks since Betty had gone more than a couple minutes without worrying about Polly. With her considering accepting the Blossoms offer of support, Betty wasn't sure the worry would be ending any time soon.

And now she had something new to be concerned about. As worried as she was about Polly, Betty couldn't stop her mind from wandering to the beanie clad guy when she could spare a thought. What was going on with Jughead today? He was at school today, but she didn't see him at all outside of class. If she hadn't been so busy brainstorming with Veronica or weighing the pros and cons of trusting Cheryl, she would have sought him out. Somehow, she didn't have a moment to spare out of the day.

He had texted, of course. He asked how her day was going and how she was planning to deal with the Blossoms when she met up with them but he didn't spend a whole lot of time talking about himself. He mentioned going with Archie to the construction site after school, but hadn't said much else. Not that Jughead was always forthcoming, but he had been lately. His silence said more than anything he could have said to her.

Jughead was hiding something and Betty knew it. The insecure part of her worried that he was having seconds thoughts about them. Although to have seconds thoughts one must have coherent first thoughts. Their lives had been so hectic, they hadn't had time to figure out what was going on between them. There were feeling there, definitely. There was friendship and respect between them, but nothing established further than just hand holding a few stolen kisses. Betty would like to figure out where they were together, but Jughead seemed so distant. But it wasn't just their new relationship that made her see this; Jughead had been behaving strangely for a while now, Betty was just finally able to see it clearly. She was more emotionally tuned to him these days.

Betty yawned and felt another wave of exhaustion hit her. Today had really taken a lot out of her. Betty pulled her hair out of its signature ponytail and changed into some pajamas. Though it was 10 o'clock, she was beat and knew it wouldn't take more than a couple of seconds once her head hit the pillow for her to fall asleep.

As tired as she was, she still considered calling Jughead to let him know how the meeting with the Blossoms had gone. But he hadn't asked and she wasn't prepared to have a conversation where she would have to do most of the talking.

She clutched her phone, as if hoping that having it in her hand would make the decision easier. She wished that Jughead would at least send her a text to let her know that he was doing ok. But perhaps he needed a break from her. From her family drama. Maybe he had earned it after how much she had leaned on him this weekend.

Betty shook her head as she pulled her floral bedspread down and crawled underneath the covers.

_I'll talk to him tomorrow._ Betty decided.  _I will talk to him before our Blue and Gold layout session in the morning._

Betty laid down, pulling the covers close to her chin, still holding onto her phone. Just as Betty had set her phone down on her nightstand, it rang.

Betty picked up her phone.

Jughead was calling her.

Betty was almost embarrassed by the way her heart fluttered. She had been longing to hear from him more than she thought she had.

Betty smiled as she picked up her phone and answered it.

"Hello? Juggie?" Betty asked, her voice sounding more energetic than it had in hours. Not once in their over a decade friendship had Jughead ever called her. Betty guessed this must be one of the new changes to how things were between them.

"Betts? Did I wake you?" Jughead asked, his voice sounding heavy.

_Why does he sound so upset?_ Betty thought, realizing it had been years since Jughead had ever sounded like anything other than his usual self.

"No. Your timing is perfect." Betty replied, sitting up in her bed. If he was upset she wanted to talk to him.

"We can talk tomorrow at school." Jughead replied, sounding even more dejected.

_Apparently I sound as tired as I feel. But Jughead needs to hear from me. Why else would he call?_

"Jug, I want to talk." Betty said, trying to sound more awake. "Please. What's going on?"

"I won't keep you long. I just wanted to know how the meeting with the Lannisters went." Jughead replied, attempting to sound stoic, but instead sounding as though he were choked up.

Betty internally debated. Something was clearly bothering him, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it at the moment.

_Should I ask him about it or should I just answer his question?_ Betty quarreled.

Thinking about it, Betty realized that Jughead would tell her when he felt like he could.

"I am not sure how it went." Betty answered, deciding to answer his question. "I didn't tell them where Polly was, but they said they want to be there for her. Both financially and emotionally."

"Why can't we just have friends who want to be there for us financially?" Jughead asked, sounding bemused.

_That kinda sounds like Jughead._ Betty thought, grinning.

"They want to meet up tomorrow at Pop's to discuss everything with Polly." Betty continued. "Polly wants to take them up on it. She thinks that they actually want to take care of her and the baby."

"Do you?" Jughead asked, the skepticism clear in his voice. "Think they want to take care of her and the baby?"

"I haven't decided yet." Betty replied.

Betty sighed. She wanted to believe the Blossoms were being honest, but Riverdale was not the place of honest people anymore. Betty hoped they were telling the truth, but her gut was keeping her worried about Polly for a reason.

"I am glad she has options at least. More than she had 24 hours ago." Jughead reassured her. "Even if they are planning to feed her to the family dogs once the baby is born."

Betty winced at Jughead's suggestion, but then realized he was referencing a TV show rather than coming up with his own grotesque idea.

"So did you just spend the day watching Game of Thrones instead of interacting with people?" Betty jokingly asked, noting his second reference in a matter of minutes.

"You saw me at school." Jughead argued, sounding defensive.

"I saw you in classes. Outside of class, nowhere to be found." Betty argued back. "You even skipped lunch again. I had no clue what to do with my leftovers without you."

Betty could imagine Jughead smiling at the food, the idea of food cheering him up.

"Yeah, today was a hectic day for me too." Jughead said, sighing.

Betty got the feeling we were getting close to the reason he called.

"What happened? Is everything ok?" Betty asked, her heart flooding with concern.

"It was my dad's first day back at work with Archie's dad." Jughead stated, avoiding Betty's questions.

_I hate how good he is at that. Jughead Jones could turn avoiding questions into an art form. I must be a bit more direct in my approach._

"How did it go?" Betty asked, sitting up straighter on her bed, pushing the covers to her feet.

"The actual day on the job went alright, it seemed." Jughead replied shortly.

_What isn't he saying?_

"That's not the whole story, though." Betty stated, frowning at the idea of Jughead being disappointed.

"No." Jughead answered bluntly. "It's not."

Betty sighed. She knew this was hard for him. He hadn't talked about his family too much with her, but she knew it wasn't exactly the most solid relationship. She wanted him to tell her everything, but she was afraid that if she tried too hard he would run.

"Juggie…" Betty started, not sure how she was planning to finish her thought.

But Jughead didn't need more provocation than that.

"It's hard to know when the point of no return was." Jughead said, his voice filled with a sad bitterness. "The reminiscing about his glory days, long before he had a family. His condescension about my creative ambitions. Making a big deal about who pays the dinner bill. The revelation that he felt cheated out of a better life by my best friend's dad."

Betty swallowed hard. How could the world be so awful to someone as wonderful and caring as Jughead?

"It seemed to be going so well, Betts. Then he…" Jughead started, but suddenly stopped and sighed.

Betty was suddenly wide awake. Jughead was in pain and her heart was breaking thinking about it. She was desperate to make him feel better. She wanted to change and run to wherever he was and tell him everything was going to be ok.

Betty hopped out of bed and walked over to her dresser when she had to stop. But she didn't know where he was.

_I don't know where Jughead lives. At all. Couldn't even tell you the street name._

Betty was filled with a great deal of shame. They had been friends for years, but she couldn't tell you where Jughead lived. What kind of friend had she been to him for all these years? How could she possibly not know about this?

Betty walked back over to her bed, grabbing a pillow to lean her head against.

"Now I'm here in his trailer." Jughead continued, sounding congested "He's passed out on the couch and I..."

Betty closed her eyes, forcing herself not to cry. Today had been just awful for him and Betty couldn't understand the thought of it. Betty's struggle of the day seemed to pale in comparison to the one Jughead was going through. Suddenly facing the Blossoms seemed like a walk in the park. It was miles ahead of dealing with a father who was too busy wallowing in self pity to notice his son.

As hard as she tried not to, a tear escaped. She quickly wiped it away, determined not to cry anymore. Jughead didn't need that from her. He needed her to be strong, to say something that made everything seem better.

But she couldn't find the words that would make him feel alright. What can you say to someone when you have literally no idea what they are going through? How do you make things better when the problems are so deeply rooted that you don't even know how deep they go?

Betty cleared her throat.

"I wish I knew what to say to you." Betty replied, hoping that this statement was better than nothing.

"I just needed to hear from you." Jughead told her, sounding less congested this time. "I needed to hear your voice and I needed to know about your day."

Despite what they were talking about, Betty felt a little happy. She had spent a great deal of her day missing Jughead. She was glad to know that he was feeling the same way.

"I'm sorry it wasn't a more interesting story." Betty tried to joke, then regretting trying to lighten the mood.

"Yours is always an interesting story." Jughead replied and Betty couldn't help but grin.

They sat there in silence for a few moments. Neither sure what to say nor ready to hang up the phone.

"It's late." Jughead finally said after a few minutes. "We can talk more tomorrow."

"I don't mind staying up, Jug." Betty told him. How on earth could she go to bed now?

"Well I mind you staying up." he replied, sounding a little more like himself now. "You've got Blossoms to deal with and you need to go in there ready for a fight."

Betty nodded. He was right, of course. She needed to be fully functioning if she were gonna fight for Polly tomorrow.

"Will you be ok?" Betty asked, knowing he would tell her yes whether it was true or not.

"I'll figure it out. I always do." Jughead replied, sounding as if he had said those words before.

She knew he would, but Betty still worried.

"Will you be at the Blue and Gold tomorrow morning for the layout meeting?" Betty asked, wanting more than ever to see him.

"Of course." Jughead replied. "The layout meeting is the highlight of my day."

"Ok. I guess I will talk to you tomorrow." Betty said, not wanting to say goodbye, but still feeling exhausted.

"Good night, Betts." Jughead told her. "See you in the morning."

"Good night, Juggie." Betty said, hanging up the phone.

_Hopefully tomorrow turns out better than today did._


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x07: Betty talks to Archie in front of his locker

Betty showed up early to school the next day. To say she had slept terribly would be an understatement. Between worrying about Polly and Jughead and all the other things she normally worried about, she could barely close her eyes before thinking of a new thing to add to the list of woes.

She went over the Blue and Gold offices, finding the lights off and the room completely empty.

 _Not here yet._ Betty concluded. Lately, Jughead has been beating her to the office which shouldn't bother her, but it definitely did. The perfectionist in her didn't like someone with Jughead's upstaging her. Normally, beating Jughead to the office would make her feel accomplished, however it didn't make her feel any better than she had previously. If anything, the lack of Jughead made the day seem so much more daunting than before.

 _He'll be here soon._ Betty reasoned, before she could start to panic.  _We will discuss the layout and everything will be fine._

She placed her backpack next to her desk and began to pull out printed articles to correct while she waited for Jughead to show up. The final articles were usually submitted digitally, but Betty enjoyed being able to correct things on paper. It made her feel more in control. She was going through the articles when she realized that she didn't have a copy of Jughead's latest article. She knew he had submitted it a couple days ago.

 _Must have left it in my locker._ Betty thought. Sighing as she decided to go to her locker and check. She sighed as she went out into the hallway.

The school was still fairly vacant, being so early in the morning. Betty liked it better this way; it gave her a sense of calm to walk the halls alone.

Her locker was conveniently located just seconds away from the Blue and Gold. She walked over to it and opened the door.

Her locker was much emptier than it usually was. Most of her books were in her backpack. All that remained was a pair of sneakers she wore for River Vixen practice, an old photograph Veronica gave her, and a copy of The Mayor of Casterbridge. Jughead's copy of The Mayor of Casterbridge. She kept it in her purse for so long, but after she and Jughead started spending more and more time together, she felt less of a need to keep it around. It still remained on the top shelf of her locker. A reminder of Jughead that always made her smile.

Because of how empty her locker was, it was pretty clear that Jughead's article was not in it. She started to search through her locker for the article anyway when she heard a shuffling noise behind her.

Betty smiled, thinking that Jughead would be standing there when she turned around.

_He's not as sneaky as he likes to think he is._

She spun on the spot to face Jughead, her heart already fluttering.

Instead of a crown shaped beanie and an S shirt, Betty was now face to face with a red headed guy who used to consume most of her waking thoughts.

"Oh." Betty started, disappointment clear in her voice. "Good morning, Archie."

Archie definitely noticed the change in her tone. Betty shifted uncomfortably as Archie's face dropped.

"Is something wrong, Betty?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"No." Betty answered.  _Well, nothing that you can help with anyway. Unless you know where Jughead is._

"Really? You seem disappointed." Archie questioned.

Betty was surprised. Archie was not usually this attentive, especially not to her.

"I was just expecting Jughead." Betty told him, removing her jacket to hold in her arms.

"Oh." Archie said, looking away quickly.

Betty looked at him with narrow eyes.  _What is that about? Why does he look so uncomfortable with me expecting Jughead?_

"We have a layout meeting this morning and lately he has been beating me to the office." Betty told him, not sure why she felt the need to explain further. "So I guess I have been expecting him to show up any second."

Archie turned back to her and smiled. Betty could see that he was forcing himself to smile. They had been friends for a long time, she could tell when he was lying.

_But I don't have time for this. I have Polly to worry about. And Jughead. I can't start worrying about what is making Archie sad._

"It's hard to imagine Jug being on time for anything." Archie reasoned.

It is true that Jughead in their youth could never be counted on to show up to a place on time. But that had changed of late. Jughead had been nothing less than reliable in the last few weeks. It is one of the reasons that Betty had started to depend on him so much.

"He is though." Betty defended, feeling as though Archie were judging Jughead. "He has never once been late to a meeting. No matter how many times it needs to be rescheduled to accommodate River Vixen practice or bio labs or anything. Jughead is always there on time."

Archie looked at her wearing an expression of confusion.

"Whenever I have needed him, he has been there." Betty sighed with the truth of it, then continued. "He has really been there for me, Archie."

"When I wasn't." Archie said, looking as though he regretted saying that.

Betty started to close her locker door, not sure how to respond. It was true; Jughead had been there for Betty when Archie hadn't. No matter when or where, Betty had known she could count on Jughead. She wasn't sure when the shift had happened, but she had went from calling Archie with every issue to not remembering the last time they talked that wasn't at school in person. She had needed time after his rejection of her, but even after the dust had settled, things never snapped back to the way they were. They were still friends of course, but it was different now.

"I'm glad." Archie told her, his face not quite matching his words. "I am glad Jughead has been helping you. I just hope that when the time comes, you will be there for him."

Betty was taken aback.

_Did Archie know? Did he know specifically what was going on with Jughead? Had the two of them talked about it? Why would Jughead talk to Archie about what was happening with him, but not me? I thought we were closer than that._

"Archie, do you know…?" Betty started to ask, but then realized that Archie was no longer paying attention to her.

Archie's gaze looked to right behind her.

Betty almost didn't want to look. She was sure it was probably the latest in Archie's series of crushes. Or maybe from the look of concern on Archie's face, Reggie Mantle making fun of Archie. She almost wanted to laugh at how silly it was of Archie to get distracted by those things.

Betty couldn't help herself, she turned around anyway to see what he was looking at. But she didn't see a beautiful girl or a overzealous football player.

Instead she saw Jughead leaving the Blue and Gold office with Principal Weatherbee on one side of him and Sheriff Keller on the other.

Betty was sure her face now matched Archie's. Why was Jughead being seemingly escorted from their office by higher authorities?

It didn't help matters that Jughead looked defeated and a bit scared. His head hung low until his gaze met hers and Archie's.

"Call my dad!" he told them, continuing past with his escorts.

"Yeah, yeah we will." Archie instantly reassured him.

"Of course." Betty replied at nearly the same time.

Jughead continued down the hall while Betty and Archie stood there for a moment in shock. Jughead was seemingly being arrested. But why?

Betty retained her composure quicker than she had expected. Dealing with emotionally traumas on a semi regular basis was starting to make her more equip to handle them.

"Archie, do you have Jughead's dad's phone number?" she asked, looking to him

Archie pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket.

"Yes!" Archie replied, clicking on his phone.

Betty and Archie stood in a silence for a few seconds.

Archie shook his head.

"Went straight to voicemail." Archie told her.

Betty sighed as she scanned the hallway for some sign.

"What are we supposed to do?" she asked him, starting to panic.  _I can't believe they are arresting him. How could they? Based on what?_

"Keep trying to get ahold of FP, I guess." Archie said, dialing the number again.

Betty shook her head. They couldn't just wait til FP bothered to pick up his phone. Jughead is in serious trouble.

"That's not good enough." Betty determined. She shut her locker and started walking down the hallway that Jughead and company had just disappeared down. She swung her jacket over her shoulders and slipped her arms in.

"Betty, wait!" Archie yelled, apparently having to run to follow Betty as she power walked through the hall.

Betty and Archie made it outside just in time to see a police cruiser pull away, Jughead in the back seat of it, his head hanging low.

Betty felt as though the world was moving in slow motion. The police car seemed to slow and Betty could see Jughead's face. He looked so defeated, he looked just as shocked to be there as Betty was to see him there. Seeing Jughead in the backseat was almost more than she could take. But rather than fall apart at the sight of it, Betty suddenly felt enraged and determined to act.

She looked away from the police cruiser to see the Principal straightening his tie and walking back towards the school.

"Principal Weatherbee!" Betty shouted, running down the stairs and over to where their elder principal stood. Archie followed.

"Ms. Cooper, Mr. Andrews. You should be preparing for your first class." he told them matter of factly as he tried to walk past them.

"Why are they arresting Jughead?" Archie asked, looking around as though he sought a visible explanation.

"Mr. Jones is not being arrested." Principal Weatherbee told him. "He is just being questioned about his potential involvement in one of the Sheriff's open cases."

"There is only one open case, Principal Weatherbee." Betty snarked, surprising even herself with her nerve. "Why does Sheriff Keller think that Jughead is involved with Jason Blossom's case?'

"That is not my or your concern." he told her, continuing on past them. "I suggest the two of you find your way back into the school."

He walked back into the building without another word.

Betty's rage grew.  _None of her concern. Who does Principal Weatherbee think he is? If it wasn't her concern, whose else's would it be?_

"I've tried calling five times. Goes to voicemail every time." Archie told her, breaking Betty away from her bitter thoughts.

Archie tried calling once again. Archie was beginning to look just as worried as Betty felt.

"Hey, Mr. Jones. It's Archie. Jughead has been taken into the police station. We don't know why, but you should probably go there as soon as you can."

Archie hung up, looking confused.

Betty groaned.

"We can't just leave him there, Arch." she told him.

"Here." Archie said, handing her his phone. "You try calling again. I will use your phone to call my dad. Maybe FP went into work early today."

 _It is a better idea than nothing._ Betty thought as she complied, handing Archie her phone.

She hit redial on Archie's phone, but received the same voicemail message she was sure Archie had heard several times by now.

Betty practically yelled, wanting to throw the phone across the pavement.

_How can Jughead's dad be so hard to get ahold of?_

"Hey, Dad. It's Archie." Archie started, looking more relieved at the sound of his dad's voice. "Have you seen Jughead's dad today?"

He stood there and waited for a reply. Betty found herself hoping Jughead's dad was there as she continued hitting redial on Archie's phone.

"Jughead was taken to the police station. We don't know why. Are you sure you haven't seen him today?"

Another pause for response.

"Dad, I know. But we can't just leave him there." Archie responded, sounding annoyed.

Betty grunted. This was getting them nowhere.

She was tired of waiting for someone else to help Jughead. She would do it herself.

Betty pocketed Archie's phone and began to walk away from the school.

"I have to go Dad." Archie said, ending the phone call and realizing Betty was no longer standing next to him. "Betty, where are you going?"

"To the police station." Betty told him, determinedly. "If we can't find Jughead's dad, I am going to fix this myself."

_How? I have absolutely no idea._

"I am not sure what good that will do, Betty." Archie told her honestly, seeming as though he were struggling to keep up with her.

"It does more good than the two of us making phone calls to people that won't help him." Betty said, anger bubbling.

Archie grunted.

"My dad said he is going to go to F.P.'s trailer, see if he is there." Archie told her, defending his dad's behavior.

"And how long is that going to take?" Betty asked, walking faster. "Besides, if he isn't capable of answering his phone, he probably isn't capable of answering his door."

"You know about FP?" Archie asked, sounding flabbergasted.

"That he is an alcoholic? I figured it out last night when Jughead called." Betty told him. It hadn't taken much. After she had talked to Jughead who seemed on the edge of tears, it was clear that this was a fairly normal occurrence for Jughead. Dealing with his father who had passed out from drinking too much.

"So Jughead actually stayed with him last night?" Archie asked, sounding surprised.

_Actually stayed with him?_

Betty stopped, pulling Archie to a stop along with her.

 _Actually stayed._ Betty questioned to herself.  _Why wouldn't Jughead stay with his father? Why wouldn't he be at home?_

But then everything clicked in her head.

Being at Pop's at almost midnight on a school night.

Somehow managing to always be at school before her.

Desperately fighting to save the Drive-in.

 _My dad's trailer._ Jughead had said. Not our home, not our trailer. His trailer.

Jughead didn't have a home.

Betty felt like she could fall down in the street. Jughead, one of her best friends and someone she had developed feeling for was without a home. And she had no idea until this moment.

Betty could barely register just how much this shocked her, but it made her more determined to get to Jughead now. She felt herself going even faster now; Archie was jogging to keep up.

They reached the Sheriff's station and Archie had to cling to the wall to catch his breath. Betty didn't stop until she reached the receptionist desk. A lady in her 60s was sitting behind the window, knitting what appeared to be a scarf.

"Excuse me." Betty started, trying to sound polite, but not succeeding.

The receptionist looked up confused. The police station didn't get a lot of visitors, apparently.

"I would like to speak to Sheriff Keller immediately."

"He is in the middle of questioning someone. If you would like to wait…" the receptionist started to gesture to the seats in front of her.

"I would  _not_ like to wait." Betty said, pressing her fisted hand to the receptionist's window. "I need to know why he is questioning Jughead!"

"Betty." Archie said, taking her by the shoulders and leading her away from the desk.

"Let go of me Archie." she told him, shrugging his hands off her shoulders.

Archie recoiled quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"This is ridiculous." Betty stated, deciding to throw caution to the wind and start knocking on doors.

But before she could get too far down the hall, Sheriff Keller emerged from what Betty assumed was an interrogation room.

"Betty?" he asked, seeming surprised. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Why did you bring Jughead here?" Betty asked, deciding there was no time to be polite or circumspect.

Archie ran over to where she and Sheriff Keller stood.

Sheriff Keller looked at her with a stern expression. He wasn't expecting to have to defend his actions.

"That is between Jughead and the Sheriff's department." Sheriff Keller said, seeming to hope this explanation would be enough.

Sheriff Keller was the second person in just a few minutes to tell Betty that what happens to Jughead shouldn't matter to her. She wasn't going to stand for it.

"I don't understand what you think Jughead could have possibly done." Betty argued, not allowing the Sheriff to walk past her. "We have been working together to help you find out what happened to Jason."

"Perhaps your friend is more of a hindrance to the cause than a help." Sheriff Keller argued back.

_A hindrance? Does he not realize how much the two of us have helped his case?_

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, but not yielding.

"It means that you kids think that finding a car in the middle of the woods makes you capable detectives. But you don't know what it takes to for this to be your life. Sometimes you have to look right in front of you for the answers.

"Or make up answers when you are being pressured to come up with something." Betty snarked.

"Betty…" Archie said, trying to calm her down.

Betty wasn't backing down. How dare Sheriff Keller dismiss hers and Jughead's findings when just 48 hours ago he didn't even know Jason's getaway car existed? When he was sitting in diner thanking them before, and now he was looking at Jughead like he was some sort of monster.

"I am working with facts!" Keller argued, no longing pretending this conversation was a friendly one. "I am basing this on past behavior and potential motive. Jughead was tortured by Jason Blossom and is no stranger to arson. And there is no one to confirm his whereabouts on the night the car was discovered."

 _The night the car was discovered by us you mean?_ Betty thought, maliciously.

"You think Jughead was somehow involved in burning Jason's car?" Betty asked, almost laughing at the possibility. "I know that is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible." Sheriff Keller said condescendingly "Maybe you don't know your friend as well as you think you do."

"I know him well enough." Betty fought back. "I also know that there is no way he could have burned the car because he was with me from the moment we found the car til 2:30 in the morning, after the burning car had been on the news."

"Betty, you shouldn't lie to the Sheriff." Archie tried to jump in

"I'm not lying, Archie." she glanced at her friend quickly before refocusing on the Sheriff. "We went from the getaway car to the Variety Show to talk to you, Sheriff. Then we left the variety show, went to visit my sister at the home only to discover she had left. Then we went back to my house where Jughead was with me until 2:30 in the morning."

Archie stared at her as Betty moved to fold her arms.

"Is there someone to corroborate your story?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"Well there is you, the guards at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and my mother." Betty stated, knowing that the Sheriff would never question her mother's veracity about her behavior.

The Sheriff stood in silence for a moment.

"Even if that is true, Jughead still has motive for wanting to hurt Jason." Keller continued

"No more motive than anyone else ever tortured by a jock. No more motive than Dilton Doiley or Ethel Muggs or even Kevin Keller." Betty argued, making sure to make that last name really stick out.

Sheriff Keller was taken aback.

"None of those kids, my son included..." he started, venom present in his voice now. "...have a history of attempted arson or have the background that Jughead has."

_The background? Oh I see. This has nothing to do with being bullied or fingerprints. Sheriff Keller can't see past the lack of dollar signs surrounding Jughead._

"You decided Jughead is guilty because of where he comes from?" Betty asked, malice replaced by confusion.

Sheriff Keller took a moment. There was no way to answer that question without looking like either a liar or a discriminator.

He was saved having to come up with an explanation by the arrival of Fred Andrews.

"Sheriff?" Fred said, walking over to where the three of them stood.

"Fred, what are you doing here?" the Sheriff asked, orienting himself towards Fred.

"I tried getting a hold of FP Jones, but he wasn't at home and I can't get a hold of him on his cell phone." Fred explained, looking tired.

Betty sighed.  _How on earth are we ever gonna get Jughead out of here? Between the Sheriff discriminating against him and not being able to figure out where FP is, it didn't look likely that they would be able to._

Betty couldn't stand the thought of it. Jughead locked away for something he clearly didn't do. He was innocent and no one seemed to understand that. They were going to arrest him, even though he had been working so hard to solve Jason's murder.

_I wish we had never found that car. We saved my sister to sacrifice Jughead._

Betty shook her head. She couldn't allow herself to think like this. The battle was not lost yet. She would find some way to release Jughead. She couldn't let him stay here. She couldn't lose him.

"Perhaps, the two of us should talk about this." Sheriff Keller said, gesturing between himself and Fred.

"I think that is a good idea." Fred said, walking back towards the receptionist's desk.

_And now they are trying to take us away. I don't even know how he is doing._

"Can I see Jughead?" Betty asked, stopping them with her request.

Sheriff Keller turned and looked at her skeptically.

"We do not allow visitors to suspects."

Betty took a deep breath. If he wasn't being arrested, why couldn't she see him. She needed to see him. She needed to know that he was doing ok. She preparing to argue her point.

"Tom, could it really hurt to let her spend a few minutes with Jughead?" Fred asked, making the request sound reasonable.

Betty weakly smiled, relieved that at least Archie's dad seemed to be on hers and Jughead's side.

Sheriff Keller looked annoyed at the idea of it.

"Perhaps, giving Jughead a friendly face to see could make up for the fact that you questioned him without an adult present." Fred reasoned, though with an obvious shrewdness.

Betty had to hand it to Archie's dad. He was a good man, but he knew when to hit to someone and how to do it.

Sheriff Keller sighed in defeat.

"Just for a few minutes." he grabbed the keys from his belt and walked over to the door he had just vacated.

He unlocked the door and cracked it opened.

"I said, I'm not talking to you until I have a lawyer." Jughead shouted, not looking at the doorway.

Jughead was staring ardently at the wall. His eyes were watery, his face purposefully stoic. Betty tried not to let the sight of this tear her apart inside, but it wasn't easy.

"Jug." Betty said, pushing the door the rest of the way opened and walking inside.

Jughead looked at her, relief briefly washing over his face before it returned to the grief that he had been experiencing before her arrival.

Betty walked over to the chair across from him and sat down.

She had never seen Jughead so despondent. He was biting his lower lip and eyes focused on the table in front of him. It made her want to desperately hold him.

Betty wasn't sure what she was supposed to do from here. She was so focused on getting to him, to making things better that the fact that she didn't have a clue how to do that had escaped her.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Betty spent that time trying to think of what to say to make things better for him. What was the magic phrase that made discrimination and personal assumptions by members of authority normal?

Jughead was the first to speak, his voice sounding weak and vulnerable.

"I didn't do it, Betty. You have to believe me."

_Is that what he is thinking about right now? He is worried that I think he murdered Jason? That is absurd. I would never think that. There is nothing that could convince me that he was even capable of it._

"Of course." Betty said, without question. How could he be worried that she wouldn't believe him? Even if he hadn't been with her at the time, Betty would never think him capable of what the Sheriff was suggesting.

"I was with you and I know who you are." Betty reassured him, grabbing his hand from across the table.

Jughead's hand trembled at her touch. Betty had never seen him this upset; this scared. She and Archie used to joke that Jughead was fearless. There was nothing and no one that he was afraid of. But he was so scared now. You could see in his eyes just how scared he was.

_Jughead's always been the brave one. The strong one. The dependable one. Maybe it is my turn now._

"Those Paradise Lost kids went to death row because they wore black and they listened to Metallica." Jughead said, clearly having had enough time alone to feed into paranoia. He sounded frantic now. "I don't want to become a scapegoat."

"I'm not going to let that happen." she told him. Betty didn't know how, but she wasn't going to let Sheriff Keller pin Jason's murder on Jughead.

She pulled Jughead's hand closer to her, squeezing it tighter. Jughead took a deep breath and really looked at her for the first time since she had shown up in the room. He looked at as though he were desperately trying to believe her.

"All the evidence they have against you is circumstantial. We are going to get you out of here." Betty reassured him.

Jughead sniffled as he closed his eyes. Betty hoped he was listening. That he believed her when she said that she would get him out of here.

"Is my dad here yet?" Jughead asked, sounding as though he were holding back tears.

Betty paused. She had hoped he wouldn't ask, but of course he did. Jughead knew the most obvious way that he was getting released is if his dad came and picked him up. But FP was no where to be found. She almost didn't want to tell him, but she didn't want to lie to him. Jughead deserved better than that.

"Archie's here, with his dad. They are talking to the Sheriff." Betty explained. "No one knows where your dad is."

Jughead wore a look of disappointment, one Betty was sure he had worn several times where his father was concerned.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Jughead said, swallowing hard as his eyes drifted back to the table. "He was pretty out of it when I left this morning. Probably woke up and stumbled himself over to the nearest bar."

Betty felt her heart ache. If that were true, it would explain a lot about where FP was. But she didn't want to believe

"I'm so sorry, Jug." Betty said, looking downcast now. She rubbed her thumb against his hand.

_How could Jughead have been going through all of this with his dad? How did I have no idea how this was happening to him? What kind of friend am I? What kind of girlfriend?_

_Wait, not a girlfriend. Not yet._

_Jughead deserves so much better than this. Better than absent parents and self obsessed friends. Jughead is always there for everyone. Who is there for him?_

_I am. Or at least I will be._

"How am I going to get out of here without him?" Jughead asked, though not seeming to expect an answer. "I guess I will have to give Keller my alibi. July 11th, I was at the Drive-In. It was closed due to rain, but I was there anyway. Although I was alone and there is no way to prove that."

_That makes sense. Since Jughead and Archie were fighting and I was out of town, of course Jughead would be at the Drive-In alone. But it wasn't much of an alibi. Maybe that is why he hasn't told the Sheriff yet._

"Did you venture out for food?" Betty asked, thinking that concessions at the Drive-In probably wasn't open, unlike the projection booth.

"Not til about 8:30 at night. I am not sure when Jason died, but it was probably before 8:30." Jughead answered.

"We will find a way Jug. We will get you out." Betty told him. "I am not leaving until you do."

Jughead smiled at her briefly.

"You might be here awhile." he told her, sadly

"I think I can handle it." Betty told him, trying feebly to joke with him.

Just then, Sheriff Keller walked into the room.

Betty stood defensively, ready to argue on Jughead's behalf.

"Sheriff Keller, if you are going to continue to question Jughead…" Betty started, her voice already filled with anger.

"You are free to go, Jughead." Sheriff Keller cut her off, fully opening the door and stepping aside.

"I am?" Jughead said, sounding surprised.

 _He is?_ Betty wondered.  _Did Mr. Jones finally show up to get his son?_

"Fred Andrews provided your alibi. Between his and Betty's explanations, we have no more reason to suspect you." Sheriff Keller explained.

Jughead's face wiped clean of emotions. He looked neither annoyed nor relieved by this revelation.

The Sheriff walked out of the room, leaving without an explanation or apology.

"Jug." Betty said, practically throwing herself into Jughead's arms.

He wrapped his arms around her, but it seemed more for her sake than for his. Betty held him tight, so relieved that he wouldn't be further accused of something he didn't do.

_How could this have happened to him? What has Jughead ever done to deserve this kind of treatment?_

She released him from the hug after a few minutes, but was unwilling to let him go completely. She had spent too much time today not holding onto him. She wrapped her fingers around his arm as they left the interrogation room.

"Jughead!" Archie shouted, running over to them. He placed an arm on Jughead's shoulder. "Are you alright, man?"

"I'm fine, Arch." Jughead said, though the lack of conviction in his voice didn't make it too convincing.

Archie opened his mouth, looking as though he wanted to say something else. Instead, he just patted Jughead on the shoulder sympathetically.

"Let's get going." Fred said, as he approached them. "Don't want you guys to miss too much more school."

Jughead nodded, but didn't seem to comprehend.

 _School._ Betty thought. She hadn't given it a second thought since leaving it. She couldn't even remember whether or not she had bothered to shut her locker. And she didn't care about it now. All she cared about was getting Jughead out of this place.

The four of them walked out the door, Betty holding onto to Jughead.

She wasn't sure how much more Jughead could take today. She really didn't want to find out.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x07: Jughead's interrogation and aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of the feedback on my fic. I will never stop being amazed at how many people are enjoying it. 
> 
> A note about the chapter you are about to read. This was not a chapter I had intended to write. I had considered it of course (it is such a power moment in what I consider my favorite episode of the season), but I wasn't sure that there was anything new to contribute to the scene. After reading some of your lovely comments on the most recent chapters however, I decided maybe this scene did warrant a little of my voice added. So you get two chapters today. The one I have just written and the one I originally wrote to be a follow up to the previous chapter. Happy reading!

Jughead had arrived at school at 7:15 for a Blue and Gold layout meeting. It felt almost strange to him, after days of sleeping at the school to walk into the building after sleeping somewhere else for the night.

He had stayed with his father, an action he later regretted. No matter how long you have been removed from a bad situation, the second you are back in it you go back to feeling that same kind of helplessness you always did. But he stayed anyway and managed to somehow to still get to school on time for his meeting.

He walked into the Blue and Gold office as usual, preparing to stand there as Betty gloated about beating him to school. But it wasn't Betty who was waiting for him in their offices.

Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee were sitting in the Blue and Gold office, staring at the murder board that he, Betty, and Kevin created. He didn't get much time to be confused. Once they saw him, Sheriff Keller immediately asked him to come down to the police station for questioning.

Jughead felt his stomach drop.

"Can I ask why I am being arrested?" Jughead asked, his voice shaking more than he thought it would.

"This isn't an arrest Jughead. There are just some things we need to know." Sheriff Keller explained.

_That really doesn't make me feel better._

He didn't get a chance to ask any other questions; the two men approached him and it was clear that Jughead was supposed to follow them.

Walking through the halls of his high school, knowing that whatever was in store for him at the station wasn't good news, Jughead began to worry.

_What could this be about? Why couldn't they talk to me here? Whatever they think I did, it can't be bad enough to warrant a trip to the Riverdale Police Station._

Several eyes looked away from their lockers and their morning routines to stare at him. As much as Jughead didn't like to admit, the stares of disgust and curiosity really bothered him.

_Afraid and embarrassed. This is definitely not my morning._ Jughead thought as he averted his eyes to the floor.

_What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to get out of this?_

As they walked through the halls, Jughead saw Archie and Betty standing by her locker talking.

_Betty!_ Jughead exclaimed in his head.  _Please help me._

"Call my dad!" he shouted to the both of them.

_I don't know what he can do, but I need him right now._

They both reassured him that they would as he walked out of the building with the Sheriff.

Sheriff Keller opened the backseat of the cruiser.

_So much for this not being an arrest._ Jughead thought, silently tilting his head and getting into the car.

The Sheriff slammed the door behind him, and got into the front of the cruiser without so much as a second glance to his backseat.

Jughead had never felt so alone. So powerless. Sitting in this cruiser, probably in the same place he father sat numerous times, answering for crimes he did not commit.

Upon arriving at the station, the Sheriff opened the door for him. He placed a hand on Jughead's shoulder. It was not a comforting gesture. The hand pressured him through the doors of the station and past the receptionist.

"Hey, Pam." the Sheriff shouted to the receptionist behind the window. "Call FP Jones. Tell him his son is at the station."

"Right away, Sheriff." the receptionist replied with a chipper manner.

_She seems too happy to call a man about his son being arrested._

"This way, Jughead." Sheriff Keller told him, pointing to the door on their immediate left.

Jughead walked into the room. It felt so empty, so hollow. Jughead could practically hear the voices of past criminals begging to be heard. But Jughead knew that the Sheriff wouldn't listen to them, so why would he listen to Jughead?

Jughead took a seat, his spine shivered from the bone chilling cold of the room. Rather than taking the seat across from him, Sheriff Keller walked out of the room, locking the door behind him.

_How did I get here? What does he think I did? This can't be about living at the school. I don't think they would need to bring to the police station for that. A simple 'get the fuck out, homeless kid' would be enough you would think. This couldn't be about the tagging of the Drive-In, could it? The building was being torn down, I didn't think it would matter to anyone what happened to it._

Jughead sat there for what felt like hours, pondering what he could have possibly done to end up here.

_Maybe it isn't me._ Jughead hoped.  _Maybe it is my dad._

But before Jughead could think too much more about that, the Sheriff returned carrying two files.

Sheriff Keller sat down across from him, no hint that there was any reservation on his part. He was just a guy doing his job; he didn't care about the kid sitting across from him.

The interrogation felt like it took hours. It hadn't been long since he's departure from the school, but Jughead felt older. He felt more cynical and lost than he had earlier that morning.

_It's amazing what being accused of murder can do for your self esteem._ Jughead considered.

After the Sheriff had left him alone, Jughead was consumed with his every bad thought.

_This is my place. I didn't kill Jason, but it doesn't matter. This is my punishment for being different. For even considering being anything other than the cookie cutter perfection that is Riverdale. When there's a problem, blame it on the kid with the stupid hat and the trailer park address._

These thoughts spun around in his head over and over again. Jughead could barely remember what anything else sounded like besides his own voice and the words of the Sheriff.

He heard the door to the interrogation room open.

_Time for round 2._ Jughead thought.

Rather than let the Sheriff see him at his weakest, Jughead made sure to wipe his face of emotions. He didn't want to give the Sheriff any more reason to hate him.

"I said, I'm not talking to you until I have a lawyer." Jughead shouted at the door. He didn't look up. Just in case his face didn't quite hide how he was felling.

"Jug." a sweet voice that did not belong to Sheriff Keller responded.

Jughead looked over at her.

_Betty?_ Jughead thought.  _How is she here? Why is she here? Is she here with my dad?_

Shetook the seat across from him.

_Well she is staying so she probably isn't bringing good news._ Jughead felt his stomach drop once again.

He wasn't sure what to say in this moment or what to do. He didn't think he was coming out of this, but he couldn't let Betty think he killed Jason. After all the time they spent searching for his killer, Betty had to know that Jughead didn't make her search in vain. If nothing else good came out of today, Betty shouldn't have to think she had been holding hands with a murderer.

"I didn't do it, Betty." Jughead said, his voice sounding weaker than he thought it was.

"Of course." Betty responded immediately. "I was with you and I know who you are."

Jughead could hardly believe how much her words affected him. Just knowing that she could believe him right now, it might make it easier to accept defeat.

Minutes later, Sheriff Keller released him. Fred Andrews gave him an alibi that would hold up better than the true story. Jughead would have been relieved if he didn't feel so broken inside.

_Where the hell is my dad?_ Jughead thought.  _How could he not be here right now?_

Betty hadn't let go of him since entering the interrogation room. In some way, shape, or form, Betty found a way to hold him.

He didn't want to need her. She didn't deserve this.

Jughead wanted to let her go, but he couldn't. She needed to hold on to him as much as he needed to be held.

They walked side by side out of the police station, Betty glancing over at him every few moments.

Jughead could practically hear the thoughts screaming in her head.

_Juggie, are you alright?_ Jughead thought she would say. He wasn't and he wasn't ready to deal with it just yet.

"Jughead!" a voice screamed from in front of them

FP Jones was stumbling towards them.

_Of course now he shows up._ Jughead thought maliciously.

Betty had squeezed his arm tighter upon his father's arrival. She wanted to stand there, to be with him. Jughead could tell just by the look in her eyes.

Jughead couldn't let her do that. He needed to face his father by himself.

He looked over at Betty, and shook his head. He took her hand and removed it from his own.

Betty nodded as she stepped away from him, creating the distance that wouldn't cause any questions.

"Sorry. I, uh, came as soon as I got your messages." FP explained, the jocularity of his tone implying he had already had a few to drink this morning.

"My phone. My freaking battery, I forgot to plug it in last night."

_You didn't forget. You weren't capable. I've been living in film sheds and closets for months and not a day has gone by that I didn't have my phone._

Jughead sighed with annoyance. How dare his dad try to make any of this sound like a happy accident?

"What the hell happened?" FP asked, his tone still not matching the severity of the situation.

"Nothing." Jughead replied, cutting off anyone that might try to inform him. "It's fine now. Mr. Andrews took care of it."

_That's all he needs to know. That is all he deserves to know._

Jughead saw his father's face drop.

_Good._ Jughead thought.  _Maybe now he can understand what the hell is going on._

"What jacked up crap did they accuse you of in there, huh?" FP asked, sounding angrier than he had so far.

_Great, now he has turned into the irrationally angry drunk. The cycle is completing. I really can't handle this right now._

Jughead bit his lip, trying to hold back all of the anger and misery he was feeling right now.

"Those bastards trying to throw you in jail like they did your old man, well screw that! I will rip Keller a new one."

_Of course this is his idea of what to do. He wants to go in there, make a huge scene. Embarrass us further. Do nothing but confirm to people that we are the trash that people think we are._

FP started charging towards the station doors. Jughead stood there, preparing to do what he always did, stop his dad from doing something he would later regret.

Jughead looked over at Betty. She looked so concerned. She looked as though she wanted to jump in front of Jughead and take his father on with him.

He shook his head. Betty shouldn't have to get hurt because of who his father is. She didn't move, much to Jughead's surprise.

Jughead stood there, preparing to do whatever it took to cause his dad from causing a scene.

Before his father could reach the door, Fred Andrews stepped in front of Jughead to try to stop FP from going into the police station.

Fred tried feebly to talk to FP, but he was beyond reason at this point.

"He's my son, Fred. You'd do the same for your boy."

_No he wouldn't._ Jughead thought.  _Archie would never be here in the first place. And if somehow he were, Fred would have answered the phone call and picked up son. He would have been there for Archie, the way a father should be. He would listen when his son dismissed the idea of retaliation._

_He can't go in there. He can't make Keller regret letting me go any more than he already does._

FP plowed past Fred and Archie, Archie having moved to stand by his father as he faced down FP.

"Dad?" Jughead said, grabbing onto his father's collar. "Don't make things worse."

Jughead had meant to sound strong, to sound commanding, to get his father's attention. He hadn't meant to sound like he was pleading. But it did. He was begging his father not to ruin everything more than it had already been ruined.

"Please." Jughead managed to finish in barely a whisper. He was trying so hard not to cry out of frustration.

FP looked as though he realized something.

_Maybe he is actually listening. Maybe he can change if I just give him a chance._

"Yeah, yeah alright then." FP said. Jughead let go of his father's jacket. He didn't need to be restrained now.

"You, uh, you coming home with me?" FP asked, stumbling away as though that last surge of energy was the last that he had.

_No!_ Jughead practically screamed in his head.  _I just saved myself from further embarrassment and incarceration by stopping you. Why would I want to go home with a drunk I can't depend on?_

He stayed turned around, staring at the police station doors.  _Maybe a cell wouldn't be so bad. At least I wouldn't have to pretend to be happy there._

"He, he can stay with us Mr. Jones." Archie chimed in. "We already offered."

Jughead wanted to feel relieved by Archie's offer, but instead it filled him with more grief.

_I can let Archie take care of me. I can't let his dad take care of me. I can't let Betty take care of me. They don't deserve this._

Jughead turned around to look at Betty as this realization dawned on him. Her eyes were filled with concern.

_Classic Betty. Always worried. Always looking after the wrong people. I can't let her do it this time._

"Is that what you want?" FP asked him.

_Has it ever really mattered what I wanted? No, of course not. All that matters is what's right. And surrendering to my fate is what is right._

FP looked as though he were accepting something.

"Maybe that's for the best." FP agreed "If you don't mind, Fred."

"Whatever you want, FP. It's between the two of you." Fred aiming his words at FP, but he seemed to speak them to Jughead.

_I hope you know how grateful I am. To all of you. But I can't accept this. This is too much._

Jughead wiped at his nose, trying to summon up the strength to do what he must.

"I'll, I'll go with you dad." Jughead gave in, giving one last look to Betty as he walked away.

_She doesn't belong in this life. But I do. I have to give her up._

"Son, listen to me. I'm gonna do what you want."

_I doubt that._

"Get my act together. Bring your mom and Jellybean home so we are all under the same roof."

_Why should I believe you? What about me being arrested changes everything that is wrong in our lives?_

"I promise, but I just need a little time." FP explained.

_Of course. Time. I haven't heard this one before._  Jughead thought sarcastically as the last shred of sympathy for his father wavered. Give _me a few days, give me a few weeks. I'll stop drinking. I'll stop spending all night out at the bar. I'll stop waking up in dumpsters and alleyways._

"Not a lot. A month, two at the most."

Jughead looked away. He couldn't stand the lies, the hopes his father was trying to instill in him. Nothing will ever come of this.

"Hey?" FP continued, clasping his son's face. "Then we'll be back on track. You, uh, you believe that, don't ya?"

_No. I don't. No matter how much I want to, I don't._

"Yeah." Jughead lied. "I believe you, Dad."

Jughead hugged his father, hoping that this would make his father think they were on the same side. It felt hollow. Wrong. Where having Betty hold him felt like a beacon of hope, his father's hug just reinforced everything that was wrong in their lives. Jughead pretending everything was alright while he father continued to fall apart.

He heard his father laugh behind him.

_I am not so sure what you are finding amusing about this, Dad._

FP pushed his son away playfully as he walked away.

_Couldn't let things get too real for you there. You might have to actually deal with some consequences for your actions._

_What now?_ Jughead thought.  _I guess I have to take the Andrews up on their offer. Archie will never let up about me staying there now. Now that he know my dad is such a mess._

He turned around to face them, knowing that he must eventually.

There they all stood. Fred Andrews, the ever reliable parental figure who was offering Jughead a home. Archie, his best friend, I guess there is no denying it now. Archie, who would do anything to protect him.

And Betty. She was somehow still here. She stood there listening to everything wrong with Jughead's life. It was all out in the open now. He couldn't pretend to be anything better now. He was just the kid raised on the wrong side of tracks by a deadbeat dad.

Jughead looked at her, and once again he felt like he could hear her talking back to him.

_Juggie, please. Please let me be here for you._

Jughead nodded to her, hoping she realized he wanted her by his side. He knew she deserved so much better than him, but right now he needed her.

_Betty, please know that I need you without me having to say it._ Jughead thought as she walked towards him.  _I am not ready to say it aloud yet._

Betty reached him and immediately placed a hand on his face.

Jughead closed his eyes. He allowed himself to feel relief in her touch. It was the first positive emotion he had felt since his father's arrival.

_Juggie, is there anything I can do?_ Jughead could hear her asking in her head.

He shook his head briefly, turning away from the station and starting to walk away.

Betty walked with him and Jughead could tell there was no getting rid of her any time soon. 


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x07: Betty and Jughead go to the school to retrieve Jughead's things.

The interrogation was worse than Jughead had imagined it would be as he was driven to the station. Not only did the Sheriff interrogate him for crimes he didn't commit, after somehow he had been freed from the Sheriff's questioning, his dad showed up and added his trademark brand of misery to the mix.

Jughead was trying not to think too much about it. All the stuff at the police station and with his dad was just too much to handle. Definitely too much to think about for a Wednesday afternoon.

They stood outside the station, a cold chill in the air. Jughead was determined to put some distance between himself and this police station of emotional turmoil. He would have run away, but he didn't want Betty to leave his side either.

Betty.

He wasn't quite sure what happened, but the way she came in there to defend him, to support him; Jughead wasn't used to that kind of devotion from anyone. Betty had really been there for him in ways that he had never considered possible. Not that he had ever imagined being interrogated for murder, but on his darkest days, he never thought that anyone would truly be able to be there for him. Somehow she was. She knew just what to say, she didn't give up when everything looked hopeless. After everything that happened, Betty had stayed to him. He didn't feel like he was capable of letting her hand go. And he didn't want to.

She seemed just as determined to get away from the station as he was. She took long strides and they were half way down the street before either of them considered looking back.

"Hey Jug." Jughead heard shouting behind them.

Jughead turned around to see Fred and Archie jogging to catch up.

"So I have to get back to the site, but I am giving Archie my truck keys." Fred informed him, showing Jughead his keys. "Gather your things and Archie will take you guys back to the house to get settled in."

Jughead swallowed hard. He knew he couldn't hide from his situation anymore, but that didn't make the matter any easier to admit. He was homeless and moving in with his best friend. It seemed as though the world was continuing to purposefully make him feel bad about himself.

"Thank you Mr. Andrews." Jughead said, his voice sounded congested with unspilt tears.

Fred nodded, looking at Jughead sympathetically. He was incredibly grateful that Archie's dad was there for him today, as much as he wished he didn't have to be. Jughead would still be in that interrogation room if it weren't for him. Or worse, sharing a cell with his father who lost his temper at the wrong moment.

"Guys, just get back to school. I will see you later." Fred said, patting Jughead on the shoulder before turning to walk away.

Archie hesitated, looking at Betty and Jughead for a minute too long before turning around to join his dad.

Jughead wasn't quite sure what he thought of that, but really wasn't in the mood to psychoanalyze things. He and Betty continued to walk to the school in silence. He wasn't quite ready to talk either and Betty seemed to know that. She didn't try to break the silence; she instead clung to him tighter. Jughead could feel her anxiety, today had taken a toll on her as well.

Betty and Jughead arrived at the school around noon. It was lunch time, so no one was lurking in the hallways.

_That's good. Perhaps I can get through this with a minimum amount of gawking._

They stood in front of the Blue and Gold office. Someone had clearly come by and shut the office doors that he had left opened. Jughead felt immediate dread. He didn't think he was capable of more dread. He felt like he was returning to the scene of the crime. The place where everything he knew had completely changed. Jughead almost didn't want to open the door.

"Hey, Jug." Betty started "I am gonna go grab my books and see if I can get my assignments from Veronica."

Betty told him this, but she didn't seem quite sure of her actions. Despite saying she was about to leave, she hadn't loosened her grip on his arm or his hand.

"Ok." Jughead said, deciding it was ridiculous to ask her to stay with him. "I'll be here."

Betty nodded, looking at him mournfully, giving him one last squeeze then letting him go.

As Betty walked away, Jughead couldn't stop noticing how empty his arm felt without her wrapped beneath it. How cold he felt without her fingers gripping his side. It was almost as if her touch was holding him together.

Jughead walked into the office, closing the door behind him. The layout meeting had clearly happened without them. Desks were pushed into a circle in the middle of the room and the office blinds shut. The room was completely dark despite it only being mid afternoon. He didn't bother to turn on the light.

He went over to grab his bag when it suddenly occurred to him, this was the first time he had been alone since his interrogation.

 _His interrogation._ Jughead's brain still couldn't wrap itself around the idea of it. Sheriff Keller honestly thought he was capable of destroying evidence and lying about his involvement in Jason's case.

Capable of murder.

Jughead sat down next to his bag on the edge of the desk, suddenly exhausted from the weight of the day. His entire life seemed to change in a matter of hours. Everything that he thought he knew was thrown into question. His self worth was demolished. His heart ached from all the pain he felt.

He couldn't keep it in anymore. He had held it together for so long. He just needed this moment to give in to all the pain and shame he was feeling.

Tears started to run down his cheeks. Jughead couldn't remember the last time he cried. Even when his mother and sister left, he had managed to hold it together. He knew crying wouldn't bring them back. Crying now wouldn't change things either, but he just couldn't stop it this time. Too much had gone wrong today for him to hold back. At least when they left, he had hope they would return. As for now...

Jughead sobbed, his throat closing as he did. Every time he tried to move on, tried to think about something else, another horrible thought would enter his head and he would just break down again.

The office doors opened, causing Jughead to jump up and furiously wipe the tears away.

Betty stood in the doorway, looking at him with heartbreak in her eyes.

Jughead cleared his throat and wiped at his nose.

"That was quick." Jughead said, trying to make his voice sound as normal as possible. He crossed his arms in front of himself.

Betty walked in, closing the door, not turning on the lights.

"Yeah. I decided to just talk to Veronica about it later." she told him quietly.

Jughead nodded, not sure how he should feel about that.

Betty sighed as she walked over to him. Her eyes filled with concern as she placed a hand across his folded arms.

Jughead felt the chill that filled his body subside momentarily.

_It's like Betty has a super power. She can radiate warmth into my life when the world is cold._

Jughead wanted more. He wanted to hold Betty. He wanted to feel something other than cold. But as he stood there looking at Betty, he couldn't stop the thought that she didn't deserve this. Her life hadn't been shaken to its core. She should go, spend the rest of the day with Kevin and Veronica. Think about normal things normal people their age thought of like how boring teachers were or how terrible cheerleading practice was going to be that day.

 _Betty shouldn't have to stand here and watch me wallow in self pity_.

"Ummm." Jughead started, his voice sounding muddled. "You should probably get to class. You wouldn't want to miss anything else."

Betty looked at him questioningly.

"What about you?" she asked, her other hand reaching up to touch his shoulder.

Jughead sighed at her touch. She wasn't going to make sending her away easy.

"I don't think I am going to class today." Jughead told her "I'm not sure I can face it."

"Ok." Betty replied, understanding but not taking her eyes off of him.

Betty firmly planted her feet in front of him. She wasn't planning on going anywhere.

"You don't have to stay." he told her, looking away.

Betty nodded. "I know."

But Betty didn't move. She didn't even look like she was considering leaving. Her hand had drifted from his shoulder and she began to rub his arm.

Jughead took a deep breath. He was immensely comforted by her touch, as much as he wishes he could deny it right now. But Jughead wasn't ready to be comforted. He wasn't ready to admit to himself that he needed her there.

"I'm not sure you should stay." Jughead said, using his hand to stop hers from comforting him.

He was surprised to see a hurt look in her eyes. Betty looked as though he had offended her.

"Why not?" she asked, looking confused and pulling her hands away.

Jughead took the opportunity to put some physical distance between them. He turned away from her and sighed.

_Why can't she just go so I can fall apart? She shouldn't have to see me like this._

"Jughead...please talk to me." Betty pleaded.

Suddenly, Jughead felt powerless to her request. To his own despair. As much as he felt she didn't deserve to be forced to deal with his life, he couldn't keep hiding from her.

"A kid like me. Raised on the wrong side of the tracks by a deadbeat dad." Jughead repeated the Sheriff's words verbatim. He had been playing them over and over again in his head for the past couple hours. "That's what people think of me, Betty."

Jughead could practically hear Betty shaking her head from behind him.

"Sheriff Keller doesn't know what he is talking about, Jug." Betty said, her voice sounding constricted.

"It doesn't matter if he does or doesn't" Jughead said, tears falling from his eyes. "It is all he sees when he looks at me."

Jughead leaned forward to grasp the chair in front of him with both hands.

"It is all anyone can see."

Jughead couldn't contain his thoughts anymore. They were practically screaming in his head.

"I tried so hard not to be that guy. The troublemaker kid from the Southside who was destined to end up in jail before my 21st birthday. I wanted to be more than what was expected of me. I tried…" Jughead had to stop to gasp. "I tried so hard, Betty and I failed."

Betty moved towards Jughead, placing her hand back on his shoulder but not trying to get him to look at her.

"He thinks I killed Jason." Jughead said, voice unable to hide the shame of it "because he was tool who stole my books and hid my clothes during gym. Sheriff Keller thinks I am capable of murder because I was brought home to a trailer park instead of a nice house on a tree named street."

Jughead was falling further into despair, becoming more and more aware by the second of what people thought of him.

"He thinks I killed Jason because my father's a drunk who couldn't keep his family together."

That last part hit Jughead the hardest. He breathed heavily, but continued.

"My dad couldn't even answer a phone call to get me out of an interrogation." Jughead said, tears coming full force, his voice heavy now with grief. "My best friend's dad has to be there for me because my own father can't. He never could."

Jughead felt Betty's hands on top of his. She was working to loosen them from the chair in front of him. Jughead hadn't realized it, but his hands now ached from the way he had been gripping the chair. She covered both of his hands in her own.

"My dad wants me to believe he is going to get things together." Jughead said, clearing his throat. "that he is going to stop drinking and get our family back together."

Jughead shook his head.

"The worst part is I want to." Jughead said, almost humorlessly laughing. "I want to believe him, Betty. I want my family back. I want to have a home again."

Jughead could see Betty nodding from the corner of his eye.

He had never said any of this to anyone before. Jughead had spent his entire life downplaying just how damaging everything was to his. No matter how horrible things got, Jughead always made it seem as though it didn't bother him. He allowed all the grief and pain to build a stoic shell around him.

 _It's not who I am._ Jughead would tell himself.  _I am not where I come from. If I just try to be different, people will see it. If I downplay my circumstances, no one will think any differently of me._

But they clearly did. The Sheriff's accusation proved to Jughead that he would be nothing more to anyone than the worst version of himself. And how do you live with that?

How do you live with not being able to overcome your past? How do you deal with having a father who can't even be counted on to be there in your darkest? How are you supposed to believe that anything can change when the entire world seems dead set against proving you wrong?

"Maybe this is what he needs." Betty said, interrupting Jughead's woeful thoughts "Your dad needs you to believe in him."

Jughead turned himself toward her, not quite ready to see her yet.

Betty took the opportunity to reach out and touch his face. Jughead wiped the tears from under his eyes, gazing at the ground.

"With your support, maybe he can get it right this time and you could go home." Betty suggested, seeming to be going for optimism but unable to hide her sadness.

Betty didn't understand. Jughead didn't expect her to; he could barely understand the chaos that is his upbringing.

But she wanted to. No one had ever wanted to understand his life before. It didn't matter to him that she didn't understand the full weight of his life. She was still here, even knowing as much as she did.

Jughead was afraid to look at her. Afraid to see what he was sure would be pity in her eyes.

_But I need to though. I need to see something good the world and what is better than Betty Cooper?_

He couldn't stop himself, she had stood there waiting for him for so long and now he had to see her face. He looked into her eyes, expecting the worst. But there wasn't pity in them; it was purely affection.

Jughead was already overwhelmed with grief, but now he felt himself overwhelmed by Betty's sincerity and caring.

He reached out to gently caress her face. Her eyes closed as his fingers touched her cheek.

 _Betty Cooper has to be the most incredible person on earth._ Jughead determined.  _And she's here with me._

So many emotions started bubbling to the surface, Jughead wasn't quite sure what he was feeling in the moment. Betty seemed to be feeling some of the same things as him as she leaned forward. Jughead leaned forward too and they were locked in a kiss.

They had kissed a couple times before and Jughead was still not quite used to how euphoric it made him feel. After the day he has had, he could use the euphoria.

The hand that was just caressing her face now held it tightly, desperate not to lose it. Not to lose the feeling. Betty slid her hand from his face to the back of his neck, deepening the kiss. Betty's other arm wrapped around him.

Jughead clung to her. He had never felt so desperate before to be close to someone. But he was desperate now; desperate to never let her go if he could avoid it.

He still couldn't stop himself from thinking this is wrong. Betty didn't deserve to be dragged into this life by him. But when she was here with him and was holding him close, he had a hard time caring about what people deserved.

He could still feel the pain of the day. Kissing Betty didn't chase all the troubles of the world away, but it definitely made fighting the day feel worth it.

Jughead wasn't sure how much time had passed, a couple minutes perhaps before the door to the office creaked open.

Betty and Jughead immediately jumped back from each other.

"Shouldn't you kids be in class?" the man in the doorway asked. He seemed to be there to clean the room.

"We were just leaving." Betty smoothly recovered, grabbing her purse and Jughead's hand.

Jughead grabbed his bag and the two of the them left the office.

They had made it halfway down the hall, looking at each other and silently agreeing to leave the school together.

"Hold on," Jughead told her, turning her down a different hallway. "I need to grab a couple more things before we go."

Betty nodded, following him.

Jughead had spent so long hiding part of himself that he now didn't feel the need to hide.

He and Betty walked down the hallway, towards the closet that he had been sleeping in for the better part of two weeks. He opened the door and started grabbing his possessions.

Jughead noticed Betty glancing around his makeshift room, her eyes filled with worry.

"Why didn't you say anything, Jug?" Betty asked, her voice sounding muddled.

Jughead didn't respond immediately. He stood to his full height and looked at her.

"Betty…" Jughead started, feeling ashamed by how hurt she seemed.

"I would've done something." Betty interrupted, the panic apparent in her voice "I would have tried to help you somehow. I would've…"

"Hey." Jughead said, closing the door and placing his hands on her shoulders. "I didn't want you to do something."

Her facial expression changed from panic to anger in a flash. He had a hard time not recoiling from the look.

"Why not, Jug? Did you think I would judge you or not care?" the worry apparent in her voice.

_Betty not caring was highly unlikely even before our new relationship._

Jughead sighed, deciding to be honest with her about why he was hiding.

"I just wanted you to look at me as someone you could depend on."

Betty sighed back, placing her hand on his face again.

"I do." Betty told him. "This doesn't and wouldn't have changed that."

Jughead half smiled. He wanted to believe her, but he never really gave her a chance to prove herself. Jughead was never very good at giving anyone a chance.

"Ok, next time I am living in a closet, I promise you will be the first to know." he told her, trying to sound like himself.

Betty didn't take seem to appreciate his joke.

"What? Too soon for homeless jokes?" Jughead asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Juggie" Betty sighed, but smiled in spite of herself. "Since when has timing affected your ability to make a joke?"

 _Since I started caring how my jokes affect you._ Jughead thought, but decided not to vocalize.

"Come on. There's a milkshake at Pop's calling our names." Betty told him, pulling him away from the closet.

Jughead nodded and was glad for the opportunity to leave. He wasn't ready to deal with the rest of the world right now. But he was glad if he had to face it, he wasn't alone. Jughead knew that Betty was here, whether she needed to be or not.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x08: Alice Cooper confronts Betty and Veronica about Polly staying at the Pembrooke

_What could my mother possibly want with Veronica and me?_ Betty wondered as her mother charged through the halls of Riverdale High, looking for something.

Moments before, Betty and Veronica were hanging out in the student lounge with the rest of their friends, discussing the possibility of Veronica hosting a baby shower for Polly. Betty was hesitant because of everything that happened to their family within the past few weeks, but she didn't get much of a chance to think more about it when her mother interrupted the discussion, demanding that they followed her.

Betty had considered protesting, but the look in her mother's eye when she walked into the room made her think twice about doing so. She had given Jughead a quick glance as she and Veronica jumped up to follow her mother.

Alice Cooper peeked her head inside of the history classroom, then motioned for the two teenagers to enter the room.

Betty and Veronica rushed into the room without exchanging so much as a glance to each other.

"Take a seat." Alice said, motioning towards the desks.

Betty scrambled to a desk, Veronica taking the desk next to her. Betty looked over at Veronica, who she couldn't help but notice was cowering.

_And she doesn't even really know my mother._ Betty thought, feeling more nervous by the second.

Alice began to pace in front them, looking away from them. Betty acknowledged this as one of her mother's many power moves.

_Any second now she is gonna whip her head around and start the interrogation._

Betty winced at her own thoughts. After what Jughead had just gone through, she didn't feel like she could use the word interrogation.

Before she could think too much about a word to replace interrogation, her mother whipped her head around and slowed her pacing.

"I know what you have been hiding." Alice stated, her tone implying nothing but the truth.

Betty had to stop herself from gulping.

_Know what I've been hiding? I haven't been hiding anything._ Betty thought, but then immediately thought of several things she was hiding. What could her mother know that would cause her to pull her and Veronica aside? Did she somehow hear about what happened with Chuck and the hot tub? No. There is no way that she would incorporate Veronica into that conversation. Did she know that Betty skipped school with Jughead a couple days ago post his interrogation? Probably not. That is not the kind of lecture that would inspire this level of rage.

_What if my mother found out about Jughead and I?_ Betty pondered. It wasn't as though she were hiding her relationship with Jughead, but she hadn't exactly been forthcoming with their developing romance. At least what Betty hoped was their developing romance. But if that were the case, why would Veronica be there?

Betty was pulled from her thoughts by her mother answering her internalized questions.

"Sheriff Keller told us everything. How you're hiding Polly at the Pembrooke." Alice Cooper accused, her attention completely focused on Betty.

Betty's worries immediately turned to anger. Her mother was confronting her about trying to keep her sister safe?

_How dare she? After everything I have done to save Polly how dare she be angry at me for this?_

"Better than in an insane asylum." Betty snapped back, gearing herself up for a fight.

_I should have known._ Betty realized.  _My mother wants to make me feel guilty for trying to protect my sister and unborn nephew or niece._

Alice looked as though she were prepared to fight back.

"Actually Mrs. Cooper, that's on me." Veronica intervened, her voice betraying no hint of worry. "I was the one who suggested that Polly stay with us."

But Betty wasn't ready to let Veronica take the heat for this. It might have been Veronica's idea, but it kept Polly in town and safe and Betty was not about to relent from her decision.

"She's trying to help." Betty retorted, angrily. "Unlike you and Dad who want Polly to give up the baby for adoption."

"Betty," Alice began, sounding exasperated "It's what's best for Polly. And the baby."

It was subtle but Betty heard it. There was doubt in her mother's words. Alice didn't completely believe in what she was saying.

"Mom, that's not your choice." Betty interrupted, knowing that if her mother wasn't completely sold on this, there was a chance of convincing her to change her mind.

" _Your_  choice is whether or not you want to be a part of Polly's life."

Alice stood there in silence, glancing between her daughter and Veronica.

Betty had to suppress a smile. Maybe her mother was more understanding than she wanted to give her credit. So she decided to continue on.

"Veronica and her mom have offered to host a baby shower" Betty explained.

"Well that is hardly appropriate" Alice retorted, sounding scandalized by the mere idea of it. Alice crossed her arms, signaling to Betty that she was not willing to give the idea a second thought.

Betty felt herself grow angry. Just when she was prepared to give her mother a chance...

_I am not backing down._ Betty thought.  _Mom, Dad, no one has the right to control Polly's life. No right to control my life._

"Really?" Betty stood, feeling confidence boil through her as she did. "Because I think it's an amazing idea."

Betty crossed her arms to mirror her mother. She was not backing down.

"You want to be loving and supportive like a normal grandmother, then great. Otherwise stay away." Betty told her, venom apparent in her voice.

Alice looked at her daughter questioning and with what Betty thought could be malice. Alice also glanced over at Veronica, who sat there looking very satisfied with what she just witnessed.

"I don't have time for this." Alice said, turning away from her daughter to grab her purse from the teacher's desk where it sit. "I have to be at the Register."

Alice started to storm from the room.

"Think about it." Betty suggested, her voice almost sarcastically sing song.

Alice huffed and stormed out of the room.

"Bye Mrs. Cooper." Veronica said, smiling at her back as the door shut behind her.

Veronica jumped out of her chair and ran to hug Betty.

"Oh my God, B. That was amazing!" Veronica said mostly to Betty's hair.

Betty smiled, though she could hardly feel the same way. Now that her mother was gone, the adrenaline rush of their standoff had died down and all of Betty's internalized anxiety came flooding back.

"You meant what you said though, right? Veronica asked, pulling away from the hug to face Betty. "You are ok with the baby shower?"

Veronica placed her hands on her shoulders, looking hopefully at Betty as she asked.

Betty sighed internally. It was a nice idea, but Betty still had her doubts. What if her mother decided not to come? What if it just made things worse? What if Polly didn't even want a shower?

But she had already agreed to it and had even used it in an argument against her mother.

"Full steam ahead." Betty told Veronica, her voice not as convincing as she would like it to be.

It seemed to be good enough for Veronica though, because she squealed and squeezed Betty's shoulders.

"Great!" Veronica exclaimed, letting go of Betty to run back over to the desk. "I have to call my mother and give her details. She loves throwing parties almost as much as I do."

It would have been impossible to miss the light in Veronica's eyes when she talked about parties. She could light up a room with the way she beamed about the possibility of throwing one.

"We'll get together with Polly to discuss the details." Veronica explained, grabbing her purse.

Veronica was excitedly walking out the door when she turned back around, her expression concerned. "Are you ok, B? You look upset."

_I do?_ Betty wondered, trying to straighten out her face. She envied Jughead's ability to hide his emotions in that moment.

"Of course, just getting into planning mode." Betty lied, her insides feeling like jelly.

She wasn't sure why she was lying to Veronica. She knew Veronica wouldn't judge her for being anxious. But her feelings on the matter just didn't feel that important in this moment.

"Ok..." Veronica said, still looking concerned. "I'll talk to you later."

Betty waved as Veronica walked slowly out the door, her heels clicking as she entered the hallway.

Betty collapsed into a nearby chair, her head falling into her arms which rested on the desk.

She always felt incredibly emotionally drained after arguing with her mother. It always took a lot of her strength to fight when she was so used to cowering. Betty couldn't just allow her mother to think she was ok with how they had treated Polly. She couldn't just sit by and let them think that if Betty were in their shoes she would have made the same choice because she wouldn't have. She would have done anything to protect Polly and Betty was tired of her parents controlling hers and her sister's lives. Betty wanted to be respectful of her parents, but not when they show such little respect for them. Betty decided she had to stand up to them, but it was never easy for her. It always left her feeling like she was in the wrong, no matter what her reasoning was.

"Betty?" a voice from the door questioned.

Betty lifted her head from the desk to see Jughead, looking concerned as he stood in the doorway.

"Juggie, hey." Betty said, hopping out of the chair and smoothing her skirt.

Jughead walked into the room. It was clear that he wasn't quite comfortable in the moment.

_Did I miss something? Why is he so scared to approach me?_

"I ran into Veronica." Jughead explained, nodding over the door that Veronica had just walked through. "She said your mom just left."

"Yeah." Betty replied, nodding a bit too vigorously. "She had to get back to work."

Jughead nodded, but he still looked concerned.

"What did she want?" he asked, seeming to brace himself for her answer.

Betty took a quick intake of breath and hesitated for a moment. She was not quite ready to relive what just happened.

"You don't have to tell me or anything." Jughead began, looking to the floor. "I just thought…"

Betty found herself surprised by this response. Jughead was nervous. What did Jughead think her mother was here for?

_I need to tell him._ Betty realized.  _He shouldn't be freaking out about why she was here._

"She found out about Polly staying at the Pembrooke." Betty reassured him, trying to catch his eye.

_I wish I knew what he needs reassurance for._

Jughead took a deep breath, clearly relieved.

"Oh." Jughead responded, unable to hide to change in his tone. He looked as though a weight had been lifted off him.

That is until he looked at Betty. The look of concern came back instantly.

"Wait, are you alright?" He stepped closer, putting his hand on her shoulder. "How did she react to finding out about Polly?"

"Exactly how you think she would." Betty remarked, her fingers finding Jughead's hand on her arm.

Jughead smiled at the touch of her fingers.

"By bathing in the blood of the virgins she slaughtered?" Jughead contributed, his smile changing from affectionate to sarcastic.

Betty laughed in spite of the seriousness of the situation.

"I'm surprised that got a laugh." Jughead said, humored by her reaction. "I figured you would be questioning the decision to be alone with me."

"Who says I'm not?" Betty teased, her fingers lacing through Jughead's.

It was all so new. Everything interaction still felt both confusing and amazing. Betty longed to be close to Jughead, something she had never really thought about until recently. Jughead clearly enjoyed being close to her. It was hard to remember what was making her so anxious.

But then it hit her. Betty sighed as she decided to tell Jughead the rest of the story.

"Anyway, she went straight into confrontation mode and I fought back." Betty explained.

"Really?" Jughead said, tilting his head towards her, sounding more intrigued.

"I told her that she needed to support Polly and come to the baby shower Veronica is throwing." Betty told him.

"Do you think she will?' he asked, squeezing her hand he did.

"I don't know." Betty answered, squeezing his hand back "I want her to and I know Polly will want her to. I hope she will."

_I don't know that I believe hope is enough in this situation._ Betty thought.  _There are just so many things that can go wrong with all factors involved._

"I don't know that I believe it will happen though." Betty finished her thought process aloud.

Jughead nodded. She knew he had some experience with parental let down. If anyone could understand a lack of faith in your parental units, it was the guy standing in front of her.

"Maybe your mom will surprise you." Jughead suggested, though sounding like he didn't really believe it.

Betty winced. She wasn't sure a surprise from her mother on this matter would necessarily be a good thing.

"Maybe." Betty told him. "But either way, I am gonna be super busy over the next couple days trying to pull this shower together"

"Ever the party planner, you are." Jughead said, in a good naturedly sarcastic manner.

"Always." Betty said, knowing there was so much work ahead of her for this. "I can't believe I signed up for this. It is so much to do in so little time."

"You can do it though." Jughead told her, "You can do anything you want."

Betty found herself incredibly grateful to have Jughead in her corner.

_You would think I would be used to that feeling by now. Jughead has been there for me so much that you would think I would be used to it by now. But every time he is still standing here after whatever issues I am currently dealing with come to a head, I am endless amazed by him. It was such a wonderful feeling to have a partner. To have a confidante. To have a boyfriend._

_No, wait. He is not my boyfriend. We haven't decided that yet. Veronica's assumptions doesn't make it true._

"Hey, so you don't have to go." Betty told him, trying to give him an out. "To the baby shower, I mean. I know Veronica said…"

Betty stopped herself. Veronica called Jughead her boyfriend earlier. He hadn't denied it, but he also hadn't agreed to it. Not that he was given much time to do so, her mother interrupting their conversation and all.

"I'll go." Jughead offered, sounding nervous for the first time in minutes. "I mean, there's gonna be food right?"

Betty smiled.  _Count on Jughead to think with his stomach._

"Of course." Betty told him. "If nothing else, there will be cake."

"Then I will be there, Betts." he assured her, squeezing her hand once again.

Betty sighed involuntarily. Agreeing to go to a baby shower could be construed as a boyfriendly action or it could just Jughead being his normal reliable self.

Betty had been so happy in the moment Veronica had called him her boyfriend. Spending time with Jughead has been incredible, but she had been scared to label it. Terrified that trying to would ruin it somehow. But hearing someone else say it made their relationship feel more real. At least it felt that way to her. But she wasn't sure how Jughead felt. Did he want it to be real? Was he merely reacting to her need for comfort? As long as she had known him, Jughead had never pursued romantic relationships. She had always assumed that he just wasn't interested in having one. But then he kissed her. Then he held her hand. Then they stood together as the world decided to throw punches their way. Betty wanted to believe he was feeling the same things she was feeling, but she had been burned before. No matter how far removed emotionally you are from a situation, you don't forget your first heartache.

"And it doesn't have to mean anything." Betty added, her insecurities getting the best of her. "It will be nice having you there and Polly will appreciate having you there. And I know Veronica said, but she doesn't…"

Jughead placed both of his hands on her arms.

Both she and Jughead sighed. Betty hadn't realized she was rambling until he had reached out for her.

"I never thought we'd be having this conversation because of Veronica Lodge." Jughead told her honestly, his voice quavering slightly

Betty nodded, her throat suddenly dry. She did technically bring it up, but she still wasn't sure she was ready to know what he thought they were.

"We don't have to." she told him feebly, her eyes adverting their gaze from his.

Her eyes fell to the floor, terrified of either course of action he could take in this moment.

"I think we do Betts. What has been said cannot be unsaid." Jughead asked, all sarcasm gone from his voice as he tried to catch her eyes.

Betty looked up at him. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting to see. Her usually sardonic friend in a casual manner, she guessed. Not a potential boyfriend looking at her with affection in his eyes.

"What do you want, Betty?"

Betty was almost floored by the sincerity of his question.

_What do I want? Do I want to be your girlfriend? Do I want to walk down the halls, hand in hand? Go to dances? Share milkshakes at Pop's? Well not that one cause you would never share a milkshake. Do I want to let you deal with my demons? Do I want to take part in all of the things that I don't know about you yet? Should we face off against our twisted families? Do I want to risk getting hurt again?_

"What do you want, Juggie?" Betty asked in response, unprepared to answer him.

"I want to be with you." he told her, reaching for her hand, allowing his other one to drop to his side. "In whatever way you want me to be. As your friend...as more than your friend. Whatever you want."

Betty hadn't expected him to respond and she especially didn't expect him to respond like that. Her heart felt like it had instantly filled with electricity.

_Jughead wants to be with me. Jughead Jones doesn't mind the idea of being considered my boyfriend. He knows most of what he is getting into and he is still here, prepared to be with me._

Betty was immediately elated. All of her anxiety from dealing with her mother mollified as she stood in front of Jughead. She had never felt this in control of her romantic destiny. So empowered by the person she cared about. Jughead was so different than any other guy she had had feelings for.

Betty reached up, placing hands on either side of his face and kissed Jughead.

Jughead seemed surprised but eager by this turn of events. His hands moved to underneath her elbows, pulling her closer to him.

Fireworks seemed to be sparking in Betty's brain. Everything about them seemed to work. They got along. They understood each other. They shared many common interests. Kissing him was beyond incredible.

_My boyfriend. If I would just say the words I could be kissing my boyfriend right now._

Betty broke the kiss, but didn't move at first.

_Say it. Just say "I want you to be my boyfriend, Jughead"_

She stared at him, silently.

_Why can't you say it?_

Betty opened her mouth, but the bell rang before she had a a chance to say anything. It was time for students to start coming into the classroom.

The two of them parted, not wanting to be caught by the Government class standing so close together.

"Umm, I guess I will hear your thoughts later." Jughead told her, smiling.

Betty smiled back.

"I guess so." Betty told him.

Jughead waved as he walked out the door. He still looked amused, though he hadn't gotten an answer.

_I hope I can answer you soon. I hope I have the nerve._


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x08: Post Baby Shower. Jughead waits for Betty in the Pembrooke lobby.

_It's over before it started._

Jughead sat in the lobby of the Pembrooke redialing Archie for what must have been the 100th time in the past hour with no success. He wanted to throw his phone at the wall in frustration. Archie wasn't supposed to find out this way. Archie wasn't supposed to know that Jughead's dad was a Serpent. Jughead had worked very hard to keep his family life separate from his friends. The life he was born into versus the life he was trying to build for himself.

But tonight, for the first time in his life, he was distracted by the merriment of the evening. Surrounded by cakes and balloons, Jughead got lost in a world where he was just the potential boyfriend supporting his potential girlfriend while she took care of her sister. Sure, the situation was not without its own problems, but Jughead was smiling.

The smile quickly faded upon Archie's arrival. The anger and fury in his eyes nearly broke Jughead. He had known Archie was going to the Serpents' bar, the Whyte Wyrm, but he had allowed himself to forget, to enjoy the world around him. If the thought did pop into his head, Jughead hoped that Archie wouldn't run into his dad there. Due to FP's spotty employment, he didn't always have the funds to go to the bar.

_Maybe I'll get lucky._ Jughead thought, convincing himself to focus on the party.

But when Archie appeared at the shower, the illusion was completely shattered. The disappointment in Archie's eyes was the look he always feared he would see when Archie learned the truth about where Jughead came from. As close as they had always been. Jughead had never quite trusted Archie enough with his father's secret. And now he was paying for it.

And the worst part of it was, Archie had to tell Betty about it. About him. About who he really was.

_I could lose them both._ Jughead feared.  _In one fell swoop, everything I have ever tried to hold onto would be gone. Over something I can't even control._

Jughead was quickly falling into despair. What would his life without Archie and Betty be like? He had experienced it to a degree during the summer, but on some level, Jughead knew that he would eventually patch things up with Archie. They had been through everything together and even in their darkest moments, Jughead had hope that they would work through their issues. They had to, their friendship was the most solid thing in his life. That is until this new relationship with Betty.

Jughead put in head in his hands as he thought about Betty.

He never even got to call her his girlfriend. He waited too long and now she could turn her back on him because he couldn't tell her about his dad. He could lose her before they ever really had a chance to be something.

Jughead jumped at the sound of knocking at the door.

"Hey Jughead." a voice yelled.

Jughead looked over to see Kevin holding a green bag.

_Of course, Kevin's here._ Jughead thought.

He walked over to the door and let Kevin in.

"Thanks, man. I tried texting Veronica, but she hasn't answered." Kevin started, walking into the room, then quickly spinning around, taking in his surrounding. "The baby shower is over, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Jughead replied, his tone a bit more harsh than usual.

Kevin looked over at him skeptically.

"What happened?" Kevin asked excitedly, walking over to the lobby chairs to sit. "Did Cheryl cause a major scene? Oh my God, did Polly go into labor?"

_Kevin is way to excited about that._ Jughead thought, as he leaned against a fireplace nearby where Kevin had chosen to sit.  _Although, he wouldn't be Kevin if he didn't care this much._

"No." Jughead responded, annoyed. "Betty's mom and Cheryl's mom fought, but Polly broke it up and that is what ended the shower."

Kevin winced, as though disappointed that he missed such a good time.

"I will never forgive myself for being talked into going to the Whyte Wyrm." Kevin said, practically snapping his fingers in annoyance. "Archie said he wanted muscle and I..."

It was Jughead's turn to wince. Kevin had been with Archie when they went to the Whyte Wyrm, which meant that Kevin knew his dad was a Serpent too.

Kevin looked over at Jughead and then frowned. He had clearly put two and two together.

"So Archie made his way over here, I'm guessing?" Kevin asked, all excitement from his voice had disappeared.

Jughead nodded, grateful that Kevin didn't seem thrilled by this.

"And judging by his not so even temper at the bar, caused a scene?" Kevin concluded.

"Could have been a bigger scene, but yeah. He was furious." Jughead told Kevin.

Kevin nodded, his eyes filling with curiosity.

_Kevin doesn't seem too upset. Maybe what they encountered wasn't so bad. I doubt Kevin would be this even tempered if they caught my dad dealing drugs or trying to beat them up or something._

Jughead felt relieved by these thoughts. Along with worrying about Archie and Betty, wondering what he father was doing was preying on his mind. But since Kevin isn't afraid of him or worse disgusted, it can't have been too terrible.

"So what exactly did Archie see?" Jughead couldn't stop himself from asking, his anxious thought getting the better of him.

"Nothing particularly troublesome." Kevin reassured him. "Archie and the rest of us were about to get pulverized by a bunch of Serpents when your dad showed up and told them to back off. They did and then he told us to leave, but asked Archie to stay behind to talk. I don't know what happened after that."

Jughead sighed in relief. His dad wasn't in the best place, but at least he was behaving like a somewhat responsible person.

_It is a lot better than I was expecting._

"What I am wondering is..." Kevin started "Why would Archie cause a scene? It's not like he didn't know about your da…."

Kevin didn't even bother to finish his thought. He took one look at Jughead and got instantly quiet. Jughead knew it must be because he looked ashamed.

Kevin turned towards Jughead, leaning closer. "Archie didn't know your dad was a Serpent until tonight?"

Jughead shook his head.

"Other than his fellow Serpents, no one knew." Jughead confided in Kevin.

"Not even Betty?" Kevin asked, earnestly.

Jughead felt the world crash in on him again. He threw himself into a chair and put his head in his hands.

"Do you seriously think Betty will judge you for your family?" Kevin asked, his tone almost reaching Jughead levels of sarcasm.

Jughead looked up, surprised by Kevin's reaction.

_How doesn't he understand?_

"Kevin, you know this town." Jughead reasoned. "The second a person learns your address, they've decided all they ever need to know about you. That is hard enough to live with, but if they find out a person is involved with the infamous Riverdale gang…"

Kevin nodded.

"You are right, Jughead." Kevin agreed. "People judge. This town is full of people who don't care about anything that isn't demographic info. But you should know by now that Betty isn't like anyone else. She doesn't judge."

Kevin made a valid point. Betty was never the type to just give up on people. She knew there was more to a person than where they came from. It was one of the things that Jughead really liked about her.

"You're right." Jughead conceded, standing up. "I am going to go upstairs and try to talk to her."

"Good." Kevin said, standing up and extending the gift out to him. "You can make sure this gets to Polly on your way up there."

"Thanks, Kev." Jughead told him, taking the green bag.

"Sound dating advice is kinda my thing." Kevin bragged

"Not just for the advice." Jughead stated. He didn't feel the need to go on. Kevin would know how grateful Jughead felt that Kevin of all people didn't judge him for his family.

Kevin nodded. Apparently he understood without Jughead having to clarify.

"I'll see you around, Jughead." Kevin said as he exited the building.

Jughead made his way back upstairs.

Kevin was right, wasn't he? Betty was not the type to judge a person based on where they come from. Betty listened, she cared and she tried to understand all sides of the story in almost all situations.

But at the same time, he was not just a person to her. He was at the very least a friend. A friend who had kept a huge secret from her for many years. He had been by her side as she dealt with the mystery of what happened to her sister. They had grown closer in these past few weeks, Betty had trusted him with so much and told her he felt the same way and he had meant it. But he never once thought when he started falling for Betty that he would ever have to tell her about his life outside of their corner of the world.

Maybe she wouldn't judge him for having a Serpent for a father, but the fact that he hid it from her might mean there is no hope for a relationship between them.

Jughead knocked on the Lodge's front door. Veronica answered, already wearing her pajamas and looking confused.

"I thought you left?" she questioned, as she stepped aside to let him walk in.

"Not yet." he said, extending Kevin's gift to her. "Kevin wanted to give this for Polly."

Veronica smiled as she took the gift, then she looked questioningly at Jughead.

"Betty is trying to help Polly fall asleep. It might be awhile." she informed him.

Veronica didn't seem to be treating him any differently. Then again, he didn't really know her and this might be the first time they have even spoken alone together. Her warning about Betty and Polly didn't seem to be a brush off. Jughead was taking that as a small victory.

"I can wait." Jughead told her.

He looked at her skeptically.

_Maybe I'm reading this wrong and she is trying to get me to leave._

"I can wait elsewhere if you like." Jughead offered.

"No, it is alright if you stay." Veronica told him, pointing over to the section of the room with cleared seating. "I am going to bed however. Goodnight and Good Luck."

Veronica smiled at him as she turned around and walked away.

_Goodnight._ Jughead thought as she entered a room and closed the door behind her.

Jughead found a chair to sit in and he grabbed his phone out of his pocket.

* * *

Twenty minutes and about 30 more redials of Archie's phone number later, Jughead was still waiting.

He contemplated leaving, going back to Archie and trying to mend that relationship first. But Jughead couldn't make himself leave. He knew no matter how much he dreaded her rejection, there was no way he could leave here without knowing where they stood. He needed to know if there was a future for them.

_What if there isn't?_ Jughead tortured himself by thinking.  _How can I go back to being just her friend? Would she even want to be friends? Does lying about Dad sever any hope of any kind of relationship for us._

Jughead bit his lip.

_I can't completely lose her. Even if she doesn't want to be my girlfriend, I will do literally anything to keep her in my life. I can't lose Betty. Being just her friend might break me, but at least I could live with it. I can't imagine living without her. Somehow, she has to be in my life somehow._

The door behind him opened and Jughead felt his heart stop.

Betty entered the living room and Jughead felt like he had forgotten how to breathe. He jumped out of his seat and was preparing internally for the worst.

"Polly's finally asleep" Betty told him, her eyes not quite meeting his. "What a mess."

Jughead internally took a deep breath. The time has come to be honest.

He gulped before speaking.

"I should have told you about my dad when I had the chance." he admitted, deciding it was best to just get on with the discussion

"So why didn't you?" Betty immediately responded.

Jughead knew the answer without having to deeply consider it.

"I was ashamed." Jughead confessed, his voice catching at the end. Ashamed of a father who was an alcoholic. Ashamed of a man that put addiction above his family. Ashamed of someone who prized his membership in a gang over everything else in his life.

There it was. Jughead was being completely honest with her and now all that was left was to see how she would react.

But rather than being mad or sad or any of the million scenarios Jughead had dreamed up in his head whilst waiting for her, Betty looked at him the same way she did before she knew the truth.

"Jughead," Betty started, grabbing his hand.

He looked down at their hands. Betty hasn't hesitated at all.

_There might still be hope._

"If we're going to be together, I want to know who you are. All of it." Betty informed him, her grip tightening on his hand.

_Going to be together._ Jughead felt like his legs might give out.  _After everything, Betty Cooper might still want to be my girlfriend._

"Ok." he told her, his voice breathy with his disbelief.

"Ok." Betty replied, her face breaking out in a smile. "But Juggie, we should talk to your dad. He might know something about Jason."

Of course her next thought is of the murder case _._ Jughead would normally laugh, but he is too busy trying to keep his heart from beating out of his chest.

"Alright." Jughead agrees, his voice barely making sounds at this point.

They headed towards the door. Jughead could hardly believe his luck. Somehow, they still have a chance.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x08 Moments after the previous chapter

Jughead and Betty walked down the hallway of the Pembrooke, Jughead's arm still holding on Betty's shoulder.

_What a night._ Betty thought to herself as they walked down the hall.  _To go from worrying about cupcakes to trying to calm down my hysterical sister after her baby shower was invaded by not one, but two outbursts._

After everything had happened with theirs and Cheryl's moms, Polly was pretty inconsolable. Betty was putting most of her attention into helping Polly calm down. But as Polly laid there, trying to sleep, Betty allowed herself to think about Jughead.

Betty was floored when Archie burst into the baby shower to tell her Jughead's dad was a Serpent. As much as Betty tried not to judge, she had always categorized the Serpents as the "bad guys". The dangerous gang who terrorized the town who were best left on the other side of it. But if someone she cared about was related to a Serpent, could they all really be that bad?

When she had seen Jughead sitting in the Lodge's living room, looking more scared than Betty had even seen him, Betty found herself relieved.

_He doesn't know how I am going to react. I can see just how afraid he is that things between us are done. But he is here and he wanted to make amends._

Betty didn't know if she was supposed to be angry with Jughead for lying to her about his dad, but she wasn't. Whenever she thought about her immediate reaction to the Serpents, to Archie's immediate conclusion that Serpents must be involved in attacking Moose, Betty could understand why Jughead would hide this from her.

_But he can't do this anymore._ Betty concluded.  _I want us to be together and I need to know what I am walking into if we are going to stay together._

Jughead kept glancing over at Betty, realizing that he was checking to make sure she was still there. He had hoped, but never expected Betty to forgive him for lying to her. And more than that, he never expected Betty to want to confront his dad so immediately.

_I guess I should have known Betty would be focused on the mystery._ Jughead thought.  _One of the best things about her is her ability to prioritize._

Jughead felt as though he were breathing properly for the first time in hours. Knowing that things were going to be ok with Betty made the prospect of facing his dad tonight a lot easier to face.

They reached the front door of the building. Jughead grabbed the door to open it for her. As they stepped outside, a chilling wind took them both by surprise. Betty quickly grabbing her jacket and putting it on.

Betty looked around. The streets of Riverdale were empty.

_Not surprising, but still ominous._ Betty thought as she straightened out her jacket.

"Are we going to walk?" Betty asked, looking down, suddenly concerned about her inappropriate walking footwear. "To your dad's?"

"Nope." Jughead told her, remembering the set of keys in his pocket. "Archie's dad dropped his truck off earlier for me to drive home once the party was over."

_Another thing I have to thank Mr. Andrews for._

Betty nodded, sighing in relief at his solution.

Jughead placed his hand on her back, directing her to where Fred Andrews's truck was parked, half way down the street.

"Jughead, where would we even find your dad?" Betty asked, trying to think of locations that the adult men of Riverdale would spend time.

They reached the truck and Jughead began unlocking the passenger's side door.

"My dad is usually one of two places. Either the Whyte Wyrm or at home." Jughead said, opening the door for Betty. "Whyte Wyrm closed an hour ago."

"Oh." Betty replied simply as she climbed into the truck, trying not to look at Jughead.

Betty was suddenly feeling very ashamed. She and Jughead were planning to confront his father about his possible involvement with Jason Blossom and she realized she has no idea where her boyfriend was supposed to be living.

_Even though he hasn't been living there, shouldn't I have known?_ Betty thought, feeling guilty.  _In our years long friendship, I have never once given thought to where someone I was spending most of my time with was living._

Betty felt sick.

_I am possibly the worst friend on Earth. It is amazing that Jughead would even want to be around me, let alone want something more._

Jughead could tell that Betty's thoughts were going in this direction.

_That's not fair._ Jughead thought.  _I didn't let you in on purpose. It wasn't you, Betts._

"My dad lives at Sunnyside trailer park. It's about 10 mins from here on the south side of Riverdale." Jughead informed Betty as she settled into her seat and began to buckle her seat belt.

Betty nodded, still consumed with guilt as Jughead made his way to the driver's side.

He looked over at Betty, clearly upset about her lack of knowledge about his childhood home.

"I never told you, in case you are trying to wrack your brain to figure out if I had." Jughead said, trying to sound as casual as possible "I've never really told anyone before. Archie knows, but that was less about me telling him and more his dad being my dad's employer."

"Shouldn't I have know though?" Betty asked. "I mean, I get not wanting to tell me about your dad being a Serpent. But Juggie, it is where you live."

Jughead smiled.

"Technically, it is not."

Betty shook her head as she tried not to let her guilt consume her. But then guilt gave way to another feeling.

_I can't believe I am going to be meeting Jughead's father._ Betty thought, suddenly consumed with nerves.  _I wasn't prepared to meet a parent tonight. I haven't thought up any anecdotes or made sure to dress appropriately. I didn't get him a thank you gift. And what if he doesn't like me?_

This thought made matters worse. Betty prided herself on being well liked and well thought of. If Jughead's dad didn't approve of her, how would she live with that?

Jughead could tell Betty was nervous about the possibility of meeting his dad.

_I guess it is a nerve wracking thing._ Jughead conceded.  _If I hadn't had to spend so much time with Alice Cooper in the search for Polly, I would have been terrified to meet her._

And if he was being honest with himself, Jughead was nervous too. While he was sure Betty was worried about the stereotypical meeting the parents aspects of their visit, Jughead was more worried about what they would possibly be walking into. Years of experience taught Jughead to expect the unexpected when it came to his father. As much as he wished it wasn't true, Jughead just didn't know what kind of state sobriety wise his father would be in.

_What if he is in one of his unreachable states? Do I really want to subject Betty to that?_

Jughead looked over to see that Betty was staring at her hands, fidgeting the way she did when she wasn't sure what to do next.

_Maybe this can wait, until I can be sure what we are facing._

"Hey." Jughead said, reaching over to cover her hands, stopping them from fidgeting. "We don't have to do this now. You don't have to do this at all, really."

Betty's thoughts were going faster than she could process but she looked over at Jughead with confusion.

_What does he mean by that?_

"We need to talk to your dad about his knowledge concerning Jason's murder." Betty stated, not sure why Jughead was changing his mind about seeing his father.

"I know." Jughead began, suddenly worried she would take his suggestion the wrong way. "It's just, if you would rather not talk to my dad, I can just go talk to him on my own."

Betty looked up from her hands to look at Jughead. She could see in his eyes that he was as worried as she was. It probably was less about saying the wrong thing and more about being worried about who his father is. Jughead was worried that she wouldn't want to be around his family.

_He underestimates me._ Betty thought.  _I'm tougher than most people give me credit for._

"No, Jughead." Betty firmly stated, forcing her hands to stop fidgeting underneath Jughead's "This is my investigation. Your dad could be a very important informant. I want to be there for it too."

Jughead smiled.  _Should have known it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of you._

"Ok." Jughead replied, trying to force himself not to smile. "Let's go see my dad."

Betty nodded as Jughead turned the ignition and began to head towards his father's trailer.

"Besides, I wouldn't want you to think you couldn't share that part of your life with me." Betty pointed out, looking out the window to avoid looking at Jughead's expression. "Where you come from."

Jughead sighed.

_Whoever thought I would miss the closet? There were a lot less concerns about sharing that part of my life._

Jughead wasn't used to this level of interest from anyone. He wasn't used to people caring about his family or his home or anything about him really that wasn't surface level. Betty had been paying more attention recently, but there was still so much that they hadn't shared. Betty wanting to know more about him was going to take some getting used to.

"I know, I know. You want to know who I am." Jughead conceded. "But Betty, there's something you have to understand. My dad, his trailer, his involvement with the Serpents, that life is not who I am."

Jughead swallowed hard as he focused all of his attention on the road. It was easy enough to say, that these things were not who he was, but Jughead knew it wasn't as easy to believe. Even for him, the lines between his father and himself were harder to see. But Jughead didn't want his father's life to define him. He was just hoping that Betty could understand this on some level.

Betty nodded. She thought back to their first kiss in her bedroom.

_We are not our parents, he had told me. He needs to believe it as much as I do._  Betty concluded.  _Jughead needs me to see that he isn't his father. And of course I do. But there is a lot more to it than that._

"I understand." Betty replied, her voice becoming more timid despite herself. "But where you are from is part of what makes you who you are."

Jughead cleared his throat.

"As much as I would like to deny it, I know you are right." Jughead admitted, once again feeling ashamed as they began to drive past the railroad tracks.

"And I want to know you, Juggie." Betty informed her, forcing her voice to sound less timid. "As much as a person can know another person."

Jughead still couldn't believe his luck. Betty wanted to know who he was. All of it. As much as the idea of that frightened the hell out of him, he wanted her to know that part of him too. He had never felt that way about another person before.

"I guess I can live with that." he told her, not even trying to suppress a grin.

"Besides…" Betty continued, feeling her hands start to fidget again. "I've never met your dad. Not officially anyway."

Her nerves were returning. She was usually so good with parents, but the idea of meeting Jughead's dad was making her more and more terrified by the second. What if he thought she wasn't good enough for Jughead? What if he thought she was boring or simple or just not worth Jughead's time? What if he just didn't like her?

_Well, considering we are questioning him about a murder, I might just have to accept the fact that he won't like me._

Betty started feeling like she was having a hard time breathing.

"How does one meet a person unofficially?" Jughead inquired, seeing Betty nervous made him desperate to change the subject. "Doesn't the exchange of identifying information count as meeting a person?"

Betty smiled weakly. Jughead must be feeling more like himself if he were up to sarcastic quips and at least one of us is feeling relatively normal.

"Well we didn't exchange  _identifying information_ " Betty explained, mocking his words with her tone

"I guess there wasn't much time for that, post my interrogation." Jughead reasoned, trying hard not to be distracted by her smiling next to him and his desire to laugh at her attempts to mock him.

"Or any of the times he picked you up from school. When we were kids." Betty pointed out.

It took Jughead minute to think of what she was referring to. Things weren't always so terrible with his family. There were times when he was very little when his father had a steady job working for Fred Andrews and he would schedule his lunch breaks so he could pick Jughead up from school. FP would buckle Jughead up on the passenger's side and let Jughead just talk about his day. His dad would listen and he would care. Or at least he would do a better job of pretending to care. But those times hadn't been a Jones family reality for a long time.

"I can't believe you remember that." Jughead replied. "It happened so long ago."

_Of course I remember._ Betty thought, smiling as she thought about those times.  _Little Jughead with his much too big crown beanie eagerly awaiting his dad's pick up truck. He would smile so big and bright on the days his dad made it there. It was always a struggle to keep him in class on those days. I remember bribing him with pudding cups to stay in his seat until the bell rang. Jughead was always the first one out the door, ready to spend time with his father. I am not sure when those days came to an end, but they must have._

"I remember our history together, Jughead Jones." Betty told him, simply.

_Our History._ Jughead felt himself smile.  _She referenced our history._

Jughead had always thought of Betty and Archie as the people who were making the memories that Jughead just happened to be a part of. He never once considered that his part in those memories would ever matter to Betty. At least, he never thought it would matter to her as much as Archie's contribution to their lives.

But clearly Betty had been paying more attention to him than he had ever imagined. This idea surprised Betty just as much as it did Jughead.

_All these years, I thought my sole focus was on Archie. But I can see Jughead smiling as clear as if it happened yesterday. Maybe I've been noticing him a lot longer than I realized._

Jughead's good mood seemed to immediately evaporate as he looked forward. Betty looked out the window to see that they had made it to the Sunnyside trailer park. Jughead pulled into an empty patch of the lot and put the car in park.

Jughead suddenly felt himself tensing up. He always felt a bit uncomfortable every time he returned to the trailer his dad lived in. Not that he would have cared about living in a trailer, but it represented so much more than just its rustic exterior. It was a reminder of the broken mess that his family was. It symbolized a family that was miles apart, even before the actual literal moving of his mother and sister. It exemplified how rare the good times were and how frequent the bad times seemed to be.

Jughead let the dread wash over him.

_But it is different this time._  Jughead tried to convince himself.  _I am not having to face the shattered pieces of my life alone. I have Betty. And the two of us are on a mission._

"Ok." Jughead started, turning off the car engine "So we what questions do we want to ask?"

Betty looked over at him curiously.

"Do you really think we need to plan this out?' she asked, realizing how little thought she had actually given to the interrogation part of the evening.

"You have no idea how difficult keeping on task can be with my dad." Jughead informed her. "Even in the best of circumstances, he can be easily distracted."

Betty nodded. While she had never officially met Jughead's father, she could tell by the few moments she spent with him that Jughead was not exaggerating when it came to his father.

_Besides, a good investigative journalistic never walks into a situation with out a game plan._

Betty unbuckled her seat belt and turned to face Jughead, sitting up a bit straighter than she had been.

"Alright. I think we start off with what we know." Betty began, turning on that part of her brain that she used for investigations "We know that Jason got drugs from the Serpents. We wait for his confirmation on this."

"Ok." Jughead agreed.  _Sounding easy enough thus far._

"Then we ask him to expand on how he met Jason, if he saw if the day he died…" Betty continued

"and if he killed him…" Jughead added, attempting a nonchalant attitude.

Betty bit her lip.  _Did Jughead really think his dad could have murdered Jason?_

"I wasn't going to say that, Jug."

"I know." Jughead replied, looking down at his shoes. "That is why I did."

Betty looked over at him, eyes filling with concern.

"Jug, we don't…" Betty started, not sure how she was intending to finish that sentence.

"We can't just not ask him about it, Betts." Jughead said, finishing her sentence for her. "Polly said Jason got the drugs from the Serpents. He might have..."

Jughead couldn't force himself to say it aloud. As logical as he was trying to be, he really didn't want to believe that his father could have murdered a teenager over drugs. But there were a lot of facts about his dad that Jughead had to accept over the years.

"But he's your dad." Betty said, making this sound as though it were the only explanation needed.

"You asked yours if he was a murderer. It's only fair." Jughead joked.

Betty winced when she thought back to the night she accused her father. She had spent so much time paranoid that her father could have done it. Murdering Jason would not have been unbelievable of him. Betty still questioned it at times.

"But my dad had motive." Betty replied. "What would your father have to gain from Jason's murder?"

_Money? Higher rank in the Serpents?_ Jughead guessed, but didn't know.

"I stopped trying to rationalize the reasons my father acts the way he acts a long time ago." Jughead told her, trying to make this sound more factual than personal. "In case you're worried I am too biased in this situation towards my father."

Betty shook her head.

_Jughead is usually the conscientious objector. But I don't think so in this case._

"I'm not. In fact I am more worried about a bias against him rather than for him." Betty told him.

Jughead sighed at this remark. He knew he should be a bit more understanding when it comes to his father's struggles. But when you're sixteen and up until a week ago you were living in a closet, it is hard to sympathize.

It was as if Betty could hear the thoughts in Jughead's head. She reached over and grabbed his hand.

"Juggie, are you sure you want to do this?" Betty asked, concern flooding her face.

"No. But we have to know." Jughead replied. "And I will know once we ask him about it."

This was the one thing Jughead was sure about. His father had spent years lying to him, but he had never been able to successfully fool Jughead.

"Ok." Betty agreed, deciding to trust Jughead's judgment on this one.

The two of the reached for the truck doors and approached FP's trailer.

* * *

Interrogating Jughead's dad had been surprisingly emotional for Betty as well as Jughead. Watching him sit there and admit that he gave Jason some drugs to deliver but denying his involvement in Jason's death was a lot to handle in the time span of a couple minutes. Especially coming from a man you just met who you already have conflicting emotions over.

On the one hand, Betty could see the man who loved his son. The man who would wanted to make things better but wasn't having much luck with it. That man was drowning in all his recent failures.

Seeing FP Jones as man struggling to be a better version of himself was easy. But Betty didn't know how far he had fallen. Could the man who didn't know where his son spent weeks living really be trusted?

Betty had spent the majority of the time in the trailer trying to figure FP out. He had tried to deflect the question about Jason and the drugs, but didn't deny it when they presented him with the facts. But admitting you gave a teenager some drugs is a long way away from murder.

Along with trying to figure out FP, Betty spent a lot of the time focusing on Jughead, trying to decide what he was thinking about the interrogation.

Jughead meanwhile was trying to focus on what had just happened. His dad had spent a great deal of Jughead's life lying to him but Jughead prided himself on being able to tell. When he asked his dad about murdering Jason Blossom, his father's proclamation of innocence seemed genuine to Jughead. But was it wise to believe his dad, after everything that they had been through in the past few weeks?

Betty glanced behind her, making sure that FP wasn't following or watching them.

Before they reached the truck, Betty decided to stop Jughead. She needed to know what was on his mind at this moment.

"Do you believe him?" Betty asked Jughead, not sure which answer she was expecting from him.

Jughead was internally kicking himself, but he just couldn't help it. As much as he wanted to be logical, to investigate further, he just knew in his gut that his Dad was being honest.

"I do." Jughead told her, his eyes filled with a light of earnestness that Betty was all too familiar with.

Betty nodded, though whether this was in agreement or acknowledgement, Jughead didn't know.

_And she is going to think I am crazy. And maybe she is right. Why should anyone believe my dad after everything he has done?_

"Do you?" Jughead asked, realizing he needed to know how she felt about this. If she didn't believe his dad, maybe that would be enough to convince him to investigate it further.

Normally, Betty would have to sit and think about this. She was usually so hyper critical of every piece of information that she came across, especially in this investigation. She was usually unwilling to completely rule out a suspect until there was overwhelmingly evidence that they were not involved.

But she looked at Jughead, a guy who had never once lied to her. Jughead who was also incredibly critical and cynical about the world at large. But he believed his father. And Betty realized immediately that was enough for her.

So she shook her head and reached out for her boyfriend's face.

"I believe  _you,_ Jughead." she told him, her fingers gently grazing across his cheeks.

Jughead hadn't realized how much he needed her to believe this until she did. His insides felt whole for the first time all night. He felt almost dizzy with happiness in that moment. Jughead just stared at Betty for a few moments. He felt like he could look at her for a million years and never stop feeling amazed that she wanted to be in any part of his life.

_Is this what it is like? To feel respected? To feel understood and appreciated?_ Jughead questioned himself.

The way Betty looked at him, like someone worthy of being loved, the feeling was intoxicating to Jughead.

He pulled her close and they kissed under the street lights.

Betty felt her heart soaring. Betty didn't think she would ever get used to the way kissing Jughead made her feel. Powerful and weak at the same time. When he stood there, holding her face, completely capturing her, she felt like there was no better feeling in the world. After everything they been through in the past few hours, Betty wanted to live in this moment. Her eyes fluttered opened to see Jughead looking at her, clearly feeling the same way as she did.

"Thank you." Jughead told her, once they had broken apart.

"For what?" Betty replied, her head still spinning from their embrace.

"For being here with me." Jughead told her, rubbing his thumb against her cheek and not stepping away from her. "You have no idea how much it means to me."

Betty nodded, still smiling.

"Of course, Jughead." Betty replied, her hands now resting on his chest. "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't go with my boyfriend to question his father?"

Jughead felt his heart racing and his face break into a smile.

She acknowledged their relationship. Even after finding out where he was from and who his father was, she still wanted to be with him.

"Couples who interrogate together, stay together." Jughead replied, his heart racing once again as she smiled at him.

Neither could stop smiling as they made their way back to the truck.


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x08: Archie and Jughead in Archie's bedroom post baby shower

 

Jughead walked into the Andrews house, trying to talk himself into ascending the stairs. He had just dropped Betty off at her house after interrogating his father. All things considered, Jughead felt like they left thing in a pretty good place. Now that things between him and Betty were settled, it was time to talk to Archie.

 _How badly can this go?_ Jughead tried to reassure himself.  _If Betty was able to forgive me for lying to her, my best friend should be able to._

_But this is different. Betty and I were friends before, but I can't pretend we really knew much about each other until recently. Archie has always been there for me no matter what. He felt like we had no secrets. And now he feels like I betrayed him. When he is terrified that his dad will lose his business and his livelihood, Archie felt like I wasn't there for him, maybe even that I was working against his father. Of course he would be angry with me. And it is not like I can fix things by romantically kiss him under a streetlamp._

_Well, technically I guess I could, but I don't think it would help matters._

Jughead shook his head and decided it was time to face the music. He reached the top of the stairs to see Archie in his bedroom, Archie was strumming on his guitar, not looking at his bedroom door.

_I hope you can understand pal. Or if you can't understand at least hear me out._

He braced himself for that disappointed look on Archie's face that had haunted him since the shower and walked into the room.

Archie had stopped playing, probably reacting to the sound of Jughead walking into the room. Jughead walked over to where Archie had set up a chair and sat down.

"I should have trusted you." Jughead began, deciding it was better to just get straight to the point. "There is no excuse."

Archie put his guitar down, turning to face him.

 _At least he doesn't look as disappointed as before._ Jughead thought.  _Maybe we can fix things too._

"I was afraid." Jughead continued, hoping that the truth would be enough to make Archie understand. "That the Serpents and my dad were the ones doing those messed up things. I didn't want to believe that was true."

This was the most honest Jughead had to be with himself in a long time. He always knew that he hated his dad's involvement with the Serpents but he never allowed himself to think about why. He didn't want to know. He had intentionally never looked any deeper into Serpents because if he knew, he would have to live with it. As much as Jughead valued the truth, he didn't want to know if the Serpents were truly capable of the horrors the town seemed to think they were.

 _Why though?_ Jughead wondered.  _It's not as if I didn't know my dad was capable of being horrible. He isn't winning any prizes for father of the year any time soon. Why couldn't I or wouldn't I be willing to believe the worst of him?_

_Because as horrible of a father as he can be, he is still the only one I have. And that matters._

"I mean," Jughead sighed, deciding to let Archie into his thoughts. "He's my dad, Archie."

Archie nodded, eyes finally able to look at Jughead.

_Maybe this will help him understand._

"I get that. I do" Archie told him. "But Jughead, you can talk to me about anything."

_I should have been able to. I wish I had. It would have been a lot easier dealing with you both knowing about my dad instead of having it all come out at a baby shower and dealing with the fallout._

"You're like…." Archie started, but then hesitated.

_I'm like…?_

"You're like my brother." Archie whispered, eyes focused on the hands he held close to his chest.

Jughead felt truly at peace for the first time since the baby shower. Archie still felt like they were brothers. Jughead had always felt that way about him, but guys don't usually talk about how they feel about each other. It is was not like they didn't care, it was just that they couldn't vocalize that they cared.

 _But why the hell not?_ Jughead thought.  _Why shouldn't I be able to tell my best friend how I feel about him?_

"Nice bro whisper, Archie." Jughead chided, relieved when Archie let out a laugh. "You are my brother."

 _A brother who I will never hide things from again._ Jughead thought but decided not to say. As much as he believed it now, he didn't want to say things that he might not be capable of meaning.  _Maybe I can't promise to never keep him in the dark again, but I can be there for him and Fred now._

"And I'm here for you and your dad. So what can I do?" Jughead asked, not sure how much help he could be.

"Pray for a miracle." Archie told him, sounding defeated.

Jughead wasn't sure how to respond. He knew Fred was in trouble, but he didn't know the details. There had to be someway that they could help him. If I can manage to keep my best friend and my girlfriend by my side after lying to them, anything should be possible.

 _My girlfriend._ Jughead thought, a smile crossing his face.

Archie looked confused as he began to move his chair back to the desk at the corner of the room.

"We should probably get ready for bed." Archie told him, walking over to where they kept the inflatable mattress.

"Alright." Jughead agreed, moving his chair back out into the hallway.

The two guys began to move around the room, a routine they had only been doing for a matter of days, but it was already second nature.

"Hey. I guess I should apologize too." Archie admitted, looking embarrassed as he began unrolling the mattress.

"You should?" Jughead asked, not sure why.

"Yeah, I kinda overreacted. I was angry about everything happening with my dad and was looking for someone to blame and I took it out on you."

Jughead nodded. It was true, Archie had definitely blamed him for something that wasn't entirely his fault. Even if his dad was somehow responsible for attacking the construction site, it wouldn't have been his fault. But Jughead didn't need his apology. He knew Archie was just trying to protect his dad. Same as Jughead.

"Don't worry about it, man. We are cool." Jughead told him, going over to Archie's bed to unravel the air mattress sheets.

Archie grunted as he pulled out the air pump.

"It's not cool though. I shouldn't have busted into the baby shower like that." Archie admitted, pumping up the mattress.

"Trust me, yours was not the outburst that people will remember from the shower." Jughead tried to reassure him, thinking about how everyone was already talking about the Cooper Blossom standoff before the shower even officially ended.

"But I made a scene. I am sure Veronica is upset about that. And I didn't mean to cause problems between…"

Archie stopped himself. He looked as though he were struggling to say the words.

"Between?" Jughead questioned, looking over at Archie.

Archie looked back at him, clearly uncomfortable.

 _More than uncomfortable._ Jughead thought.  _Archie looks guilty. But what would he think he could cause problems with that would justify guilt?_

But then Jughead realized.

"Me and Betty?" Jughead asked, though he already knew the answer.

Archie nodded, but looked kind of annoyed.

 _Annoyed by what?_ Jughead wondered. _Referencing me and Betty as a couple?_

"You didn't." Jughead remarked, feeling a little bit annoyed himself.

Archie looked over with a look of questioning.

"But you hadn't told her about FP." Archie added, though looking like he regretted his reaction.

 _Does he sound gleeful about that?_ Jughead thought.  _Maybe I am just hearing things. Why would my best friend want me to hide things from my girlfriend?_

"I didn't." Jughead conceded. "But we worked through it."

Archie nodded, though he looked as though he were spending a lot of time thinking about it.

 _What is the problem here?_ _Does he want to cause problems with me and Betty?_

Jughead stopped what he was doing to stare at Archie for a moment.

"Dude, is there something you want to say?" Jughead asked, his tone much harsher than it had been earlier.

_Maybe I am letting him off the hook too easily. Maybe he should apologize for assuming the worst. Of me. Of my dad. Of my relationship._

"No." Archie responded quickly, moving away from the air mattress to sit on his bed.

"Really?" Jughead asked, now not caring how annoyed he sounded. "Because you look like you are torn between vomiting and punching me in the face."

Archie sighed. He was clearly unprepared to have this conversation.

"I'm not sure we should be talking about this right now." Archie explained, grabbing his shorts and walking over to the bathroom.

_Talk about what? I really have no idea what the fuck is happening right now._

Jughead pulled on his own pajamas as he waited for Archie to come back.

_Does Archie have a problem with me and Betty being together? Does it matter if he does?_

Archie returned from the bathroom, his eyes avoiding looking at Jughead as he went to lay down on his bed. Jughead stood there, watching Archie walk past him, seriously considering dragging him out of bed to talk about whatever the hell this is.

"Archie, you just called me your brother." Jughead said, deciding he wasn't letting this go. "You just said I could tell you anything. Be honest with me."

Archie pulled his blanket over his shoulder and moved to face the wall.

Jughead couldn't believe it. After how upset he just got at Jughead for withholding things, now he was planning on it.

Jughead groaned as turned off the light and moved onto the air mattress.

_Why won't he just say it? What could be so bad that he is afraid to talk to me about it? Sure, we don't talk about feelings, but it can't be about that. Can it?_

Jughead rolled over, knowing there was no way he would be able to sleep, but knowing he had to try.

The room was quiet for a few minutes. Jughead and Archie facing opposite directions, both consumed by their own thoughts.

"Jughead." Archie began in the dark, still facing away the wall. "Earlier this week, Veronica called you Betty's boyfriend. Are you?"

 _At least he is talking now._ Jughead thought, though now that he was wondered if he really wanted to know what Archie had to say.

"Her boyfriend?" Jughead asked. "Yeah. Well I am now at least. We talked about it."

"Ok." Archie said, becoming quickly silent again.

 _Well that was short lived._ Jughead thought.  _How I possibly want to hear his thoughts and not want to hear them in equal measure?_

_But I should know. I need to know what is on his mind. Archie's thoughts matter to me._

"Archie, do you have a problem with me and Betty?" Jughead asked, turning onto his back.

Archie sighed and sat up.

"No." he denied, less quickly than the last time. "I don't know."

Jughead felt his heart filled with dread once as he sat up too.  _Archie doesn't know if he has a problem with me and Betty._   _Does he have feelings for Betty after all? What does it mean for me if he does? Will it change things between me and Archie? What about me and Betty?_

"It's not that I'm jealous or anything." Archie defended, perhaps reading an annoyed look on Jughead's face.

_Really? Because having a problem with a guy dating someone usually falls under the category of jealousy_

"It's just...I didn't see it coming, ya know?"

 _Were you supposed to?_ Jughead questioned, though immediately realized this wasn't fair. He wanted Archie to be honest.

"I didn't either." Jughead admitted. "It wasn't planned or anything. I just realized I liked her and decided to see if she liked me too."

Archie noticeably winced. It was at that moment that Jughead realized that Archie always winced when it came to him and Betty. When he put his arm around her, when Veronica called him Betty's boyfriend. Any time there was a hint at their romantic relationship, Archie's demeanor totally changed. Jughead had been pretending not to notice all week, pretending that he was making it up or seeing things. But it was clear now by this conversation that he wasn't. Archie did not want him and Betty together.

Jughead suddenly felt as though his stomach had disappeared. Part of Jughead had always worried that any relationship that he and Betty might decide to have would be overshadowed by Archie if he decided he wanted to. When Archie hadn't immediately pursued Betty once his and Betty's relationship was public, Jughead thought it might be safe. Or safer at least. But now...

"I know it is stupid, ok. But it hasn't been that long since she told me she was in love with me." Archie explained.

It was Jughead's turn to wince.  _Nothing like being reminded that your girlfriend recently declared her love to another guy._

And what if she isn't as over it as she thought? Would she change her mind if she realized Archie was an option?

"And I don't feel the same about her, dude. I promise." Archie tried to reassure him.

 _Getting a bit defensive, but alright._ Jughead thought, hoping that he could believe Archie despite Jughead's doubts about it.

"I just wasn't expecting her to move on so fast." he continued. "And it never occurred to me…"

"That it would be with me." Jughead finished, bitterly.

Archie's eyebrows furrowed.

Jughead looked away from him. It wasn't hard to realize why Archie would count Jughead out of the running for Betty's heart. Even so, it still stung.

"It's just, we've never talked about girls. I mean, we have but…" Archie explained.

"It's usually in the context of you." Jughead supplied, thinking back to a million different conversations they have had in the past.

"Right. I just never really thought about..." Archie started, but didn't finish.

 _You never thought about me dating._ Jughead thought.  _That's fair._

"Have you ever even noticed a girl before, Jughead?"

Jughead sat there for a moment thinking. There had been the stray attraction here and there, but nothing that really stuck. No one that made Jughead think about school or Archie or Betty or eating any less than usual.

"Sure." Jughead admitted. "Nothing noteworthy, but yeah. I noticed."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Archie asked, sounding surprised by Jughead's response.

"I didn't really need to. You noticed enough of them for the both of us." Jughead joked, even though he wasn't in the mood to joke.

Archie smiled at this but his smile quickly faded.

"What's different this time?" Archie asked, looking as though he immediately regretted asking.

_Are you afraid I am going to get graphic, Arch? Could I list all the physical features that make Betty Cooper so appealing? Absolutely. But she is so much more than just beautiful. If sat down and started to list everything that made Betty noteworthy, I would never move. When I look at Betty I see so much more than the beautiful girl next door. I see hope in her smile. I see caring in her eyes. I find acceptance in her embrace. Hell, I even see determination in her ponytail. Betty Cooper was everything good and true in this world. At least she is to me._

"It's Betty." Jughead replied, deciding not to give Archie a long speech about her. "She's not like anyone else."

Archie nodded solemnly.

"And it's real?" Archie asked "You like, care about her and stuff?"

_Wow Arch. Your eloquence is overwhelming._

"Yeah, Arch. It's real." Jughead replied, snark creeping its way into his words.

Jughead sighed. It is real. Betty and his relationship was real. Archie needed to understand that.

"And I am sorry if that makes things awkward for you." Jughead continued, erasing the snark from his tone and replacing it with honesty.

"Hey, why would it be awkward?" Archie asked, his eyes shifting around the room.

_Because this conversation is happening in the first place. Despite your insistence to the contrary, you are at least a little jealous. Archie Andrews is jealous of Jughead Jones when it comes to a girl. No one would have ever believed that, especially not Archie Andrews or Jughead Jones. But what good does it do to bring that up? Maybe Archie didn't even realize he was jealous. Maybe he just needed some time to adjust to mine and Betty's relationship._

"No reason." Jughead replied. He decided it was for the best that this conversation end sooner rather than later.

The two of them laid back down, settling themselves on their beds.

"Hey Jug." Archie said, facing the wall again.

"Yeah?" Jughead asked, though not sure he wanted to hear what Archie had to say.

"I will work on." Archie told him, sounding determined. "I want to be happy for you. Both of you."

Jughead grimaced.

"Thanks, Archie."

_And I hope you can be. For all of our sakes._

And with that, the two guys faced in opposite directions, both consumed with thoughts of their conversation and Jughead's relationship.


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x09: Jughead is working on his novel at the Blue and Gold

Jughead was drawing a blank. He sat alone in the Blue and Gold Office while Betty was at River Vixen practice, trying to force the words into his next chapter.

No matter how long he sat there though, nothing was coming to him. He had been here at least an hour, typing and retyping paragraphs only to delete the whole thing and start over. The problem was that there was really nothing new to discuss in the Jason Blossom case. Since interrogating his dad, he and Betty had found no other leads. Archie was spending time the Blossoms which could lead to something, but for now, Jughead had nothing to write about.

Giving up, he closed his laptop with a frustrated groan. He knew there was no pressure to work on his novel, other than his own, but Jughead felt like he should be. He wanted answers and he knew with every day that passed, the answers would be harder to find.

_If only there was an angle we weren't considering. Something Betty and I weren't thinking of._

That was unlikely. He and Betty spent most of their waking hours thinking and talking about this case. They both wanted answers so badly and now that they were together. They were more determined than ever to get answers.

_Betty needs to know. I need to know._

With this motivating thought, Jughead prepared to open his laptop again, determined to get something written. By the time he had pulled up his novel, he felt his cell phone buzzing in his jacket pocket.

_Must be on silent still from school._ Jughead thought, pulling the phone out of his pocket.

When he unlocked it, he saw that he had a missed text message from his father.

**Hey Jug, can we talk?**

Jughead groaned. He hadn't spoken to his dad since the day he was interrogated by Sheriff Keller. As much as Jughead wanted to believe his father was capable of change, he was a greater believer in self preservation. It might be harsh but Jughead knew he couldn't get his hopes up about this. If he had no idea what was going on with his father, he couldn't be disappointed when things weren't going well.

He rolled his eyes and locked his phone without even opening it. He felt almost justified in this action at first, but then he was immediately consumed by guilt.

_How can my dad change if even I give up on him? If he has nothing to change for, why would he even bother trying?_

_But how am I supposed to put myself on the line for what must be the thousandth time? How am I supposed to believe in him when he has spent my entire life proving me wrong?_

Jughead was conflicted as ever. He was in a continuous loop of questioning his decisions when Betty walked into the office and slamming the door.

He jumped. Betty usually tried to walk in quietly after practice in case Jughead was working. But she was clearly upset.

"What's going on, Betts?" Jughead asked as he moved from behind his desk to stand with her.

"Cheryl." Betty said through gritted teeth.

_No more explanation needed. Cheryl has the ability to make even the most patient of people crumble._

"What did she do this time?" Jughead asked, knowing full well that nothing would surprise him. He glanced over at the clock, realizing she was supposed to be at practice for at least another hour. "Did practice let out early?"

"For me, yes. For everyone else, no." Betty replied, throwing herself into the nearest chair. "Cheryl said that my head hasn't been in routine lately. That I should really take some time to think about my priorities. So she suspended me for two practices."

Jughead was instantly annoyed. Who the hell did Cheryl Blossom think she was?

"Cheryl wouldn't know priorities if they snuck up behind her wearing a Jason Blossom Mask." Jughead asked.

Betty briefly smiled, but her eyes didn't light up. Jughead could see that this was really bothering her.

"Maybe not, but she is the captain or the "Directorix" as Cheryl calls herself." Betty explained, looking more and more defeated by the second.

Jughead was filled with a sudden need to burst into the gym and give Cheryl a piece of his mind. He would love to more than anything to tell Cheryl just what he and everyone else in this school really thought of her.

_Betty is more than capable of putting Cheryl in her place._  Jughead realized, deciding it was not his place to interfere. _If only she believed enough in herself to do so._

"You shouldn't have to take it, though. Have you tried standing up to her?" Jughead asked, though he already knew what the answer would be.

Betty looked up at him, as though surprised he would even suggest this.

"No." Betty said, shame filling her voice. "Veronica already tried, but Cheryl's right. I haven't been focused on cheerleading at all lately."

Betty sighed, shifting her backpack off her shoulder and putting it on the ground.

"My priorities have been with paper and..." Betty started but then stopped herself.

Jughead knew what she was about to say. She was about to mention that she was spending more and more time focusing on Polly lately. But since moving in with the Blossoms, Polly was keeping Betty at a distance. This was just another problem on top of the many that seemed to constantly be present in Betty's life.

"Maybe I should just quit the team." Betty said, bringing Jughead's thoughts back to the here and now "I should just focus on solving Jason's murder."

"And let Cheryl win? Betty, you have to learn to stand up for what you want." Jughead told her, annoyed by the mention of her quitting.

_I really don't care if you are a cheerleader, but I know you. You've wanted to be a part of this squad since we were little. You have worked harder than anyone else on the team. You can't give up, Betts especially not because of Cheryl Blossom. You are many things, but a quitter is not one of them._

"Maybe." Betty conceded, looking down at the ground.

"Definitely." Jughead argued. "Look, I don't want to pressure you or anything, but you can't let Cheryl get the best of you."

Betty quickly stood up, looking madder than she had when she walked in.

"It's too late, Jug." Betty shouted, her voice filled with the anger that she had been suppressing in favor of defeat.

Jughead felt himself take a step back. He knew Betty wasn't angry at him, but in a brief flash he felt the same fear he usually equated to being a room too long with Alice Cooper.

Betty must have seen the look in his eyes because she immediately recoiled.

"I'm sorry." Betty apologized, looking guilty.

"Don't be. I can take it." Jughead explained, moving closer to her again, placing a hand on her arm.

"It's not fair though." Betty said, looking as though she were about to burst at the seems with anger. "Cheryl gets the squad and my sister."

Jughead suddenly realized what was going on. This wasn't about cheerleading after all.

"This is about Polly." Jughead explained to no one. "You blame Cheryl for Polly?"

Betty sighed.

"I don't think she is keeping Polly from me, exactly. Maybe I think she is encouraging Polly to distance herself from us. Which is ridiculous because my mom and I worked so hard to try to make her feel loved and then she moves in with Cheryl."

Betty turned away from Jughead to face the door.

"Sure, Cheryl was incredibly considerate when it came to the shower. I know that she didn't want Polly to accept help from her parents because she knew there would be strings, but I didn't think that would be enough to turn Polly against me. I thought that she was…"

Betty's voice broke and Jughead found himself desperate to make her feel better.

"Betts." Jughead interrupted, walking in front of her. "I really think you should talk to Cheryl about it."

Betty looked up at him, the look of defeat more prominent in her eyes than ever.

"What good would that do? Other than to make me look like a jealous idiot?"

Jughead sighed, as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"You aren't acting like a jealous idiot. You are acting like someone who cares about their sister. I think you need to give Cheryl a piece of your mind. Let her know that if she is the one that is keeping Polly from you, you will not stand for it."

Betty nodded, the defeat disappearing from her eyes.

"You're right."

"I am?" Jughead questioned, surprised. "I mean, I usually am, but people don't usually agree this quickly."

Betty smirked at him.

"I can't just stand by and let Cheryl control my sister's life. I have to say something." Betty determined. Everything about Betty from her posture to her general appearance had gone from defeated to confident in a matter of seconds.

"Good." Jughead agreed, happy that she was feeling more like herself.

"Right now!" Betty told him, looking as though she were preparing for battle.

"Ok." Jughead agreed again, smiling as she began to head towards the door.

Just as Betty reached the door handle though, she turned around and looked at him.

"Will you go with me? I could use some backup." Betty asked, sounding less confident than she had moments ago.

_Backup? You definitely don't need backup. You can handle Cheryl all by yourself. But if you really want me there..._

"I'd tag team with you any day." Jughead told her, preparing to walk with her to the gymnasium.

Betty briefly smiled, before changing her face to a more serious one.

* * *

The confrontation with Cheryl was very short lived. Two minutes and a joke about Jughead being homeless later, Betty and Jughead returned to the Blue and Gold office.

Jughead looked over at Betty, feeling guilty. He had encouraged Betty to confront Cheryl hoping it would make her feel more in control. But with everything that came out, he was sure it had the opposite effect.

"Polly is having twins." Betty said, as she closed the door behind them. "My sister is having twins and she didn't say anything to me about it."

Betty leaned against her desk, her eyes looking out the window.

"I don't think it is that easy." Jughead offered as he leaned at the desk across from her. "Cheryl might not have her chained to a bed, but I think that there has to be something that is keeping her away."

Betty looked over at Jughead and briefly nodded. Her glance then fell to her shoes.

_She doesn't believe me. How can I make her believe me?_

"She's going through a lot right now." Jughead continued, though not sure where he was planning on going with this. "I mean, she is having the children of a murdered guy, that is a lot to handle. Maybe she is trying to make things easier for you; keep you at a distance while she figures out how to deal with everything. I don't think that Polly would ever intentionally hurt you. Most families don't try to hurt you."

Jughead winced at his own words.  _Most families don't anyway._

"But sometimes they do anyway." Betty said, feeling sad. "They can't help it. Sometimes you hurt people just by being yourself. Like my mom."

"Or my dad." Jughead added, surprising himself with his willingness to admit that.

_I guess things are different now. Betty knows everything. I don't have to hide how broken things are anymore. It is kind of a relief in a way._

Betty looked at him sympathetically. She placed a hand on his arm.

Jughead's phone buzzed again. Another message from his father.

**Jughead please. I just want to talk. It doesn't even have to be a long conversation.**

Jughead sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket.

"Speak of the devil…" Jughead said, answering the questioning look Betty was giving him.

"How are things going with your dad?" she asked, clearly wanting to change the subject. "You haven't said anything."

"He's called and texted a few times since I moved in with Archie." Jughead responded, not sure he wanted this particular subject change "I haven't said much to him."

"How is he?"

_I don't know._ Jughead thought.  _What will Betty think of me for not knowing? When she can't talk to her sister, will she hate me for not talking to my dad?_

"I think he is trying to be ok. Mr. Andrews says that he hasn't missed any work since the day after the baby shower. He hasn't come to work drunk. He's actually been trying, it seems."

Jughead hadn't really thought much about this. His dad has his good moments, same as anyone. It was always just a matter of time. A few days, usually.

Betty just looked at him for a moment, as though she were trying to decide what she should say.

"Have you? Tried to get along with him, I mean?" Betty asked, backing away to lean against her desk again.

_How can she see through me so clearly? How does she know that I haven't?_

"I am not sure I should." Jughead told her, deciding to be honest "I feel like every single time I think that things are getting better, that maybe this is the time that things are turning around, there is some new factor just around the corner that will ruin everything."

"I know what you mean." Betty told him. "But Jug, you told me you wanted to believe in your dad. You wanted him to get better and make your family whole again. How is that supposed to happen if you don't contribute?"

Jughead sighed. He knew she was right. Betty usually was.

"I faced my fear. I confronted Cheryl." Betty reasoned.

_Yeah and looked how that turned out._ Jughead thought, but didn't say.

"What would you suggest?" Jughead asked.

"Dinner? Nothing big or fancy. Just an hour or two at Pop's. You and your dad." Betty said, seeming cheered up by the prospect of helping Jughead.

"I don't know, Betts. The last dinner I had with him didn't go so well."

"But things are different now." Betty explained. "You are in control."

Jughead nodded. That did make things seem a little better.

"Just talk to him. Be there for him." Betty told him. "And I will be there the second you need me."

_I always need you._ Jughead thought, then immediately hated himself for thinking. Jughead didn't like needing anyone. He  _didn't_  need anyone. Or he didn't used to anyway.

"Promise?" Jughead asked.

"Promise." Betty said, smiling at him. "Now talk to your dad. I expect a fully formed plan by the end of the day."

Jughead smiled. He kinda loved it when she got bossy.

Jughead retrieved his phone from his pocket, waving it in front of her before opening the texts from his dad. He sighed as he typed out a message.

**Hey Dad. If you aren't busy tomorrow night, how about dinner at Pop's?**

He felt as though he had barely clicked the send button when FP responded.

**Sounds good. I'll check with the crew, see when I will have time tomorrow.**

Jughead smiled despite the fact that his insides screaming this was a terrible idea. He couldn't shake the feeling that trusting his father was going to blow up in his face. His father had never done anything other than disappoint him. He decided that he must ignore these instincts because Betty was right; he had to be willing to give his father a chance if he ever wanted his family together again.

_Let's just hope I don't live to regret this._


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x09: Betty is spending time with her mother at home.

Betty couldn't stop thinking about her day. Even though it had been hours since her confrontation with Cheryl, she was still dealing with the emotional backlash from it. No matter how hard she tried to move on, everything else she tried to think about would bring her back to one truth.

_Polly is having twins. My big sister got major news and she didn't even try to let me know._

Betty had tried to maintain composed as she talked to Jughead about it earlier. She had even changed the subject, hoping that focusing on his problems with his father would help. And it did for awhile, but she knew she couldn't avoid the thoughts forever, especially when Jughead and her parted ways to go home. After crashing onto her couch and pulling out her homework to ultimately give up on working on it, she just felt incredibly defeated.

Losing Polly to the Blossoms had felt like losing a war. She had fought so hard to get her sister back, but her sister was so damaged by what their family had put her through that she was willing to sever ties with Betty to be completely rid of them. And the worst part was, Betty couldn't blame her. Even though the Blossoms were not the good guys, after everything that the Coopers had allowed to happen to Polly, Betty wasn't sure she wouldn't take the opportunity if it had been offered to her.

_But why did she give up on me? After everything I went through to get her back? Does she think I would abandon her or betray her to our parents? How can she possibly think that?_

**J: Stop worrying.**

Betty looked down at her phone to see a text message. She hadn't told Jughead she was still obsessing over everything with Cheryl and Polly, but of course he already knew. Jughead's ability to know when something was upsetting her still surprised and comforted her.

**B: I can't. I am not capable of not worrying.**

**J: Ah, the ace journalist pulls out the double negative. But have you ever really tried not worrying?**

It took Betty a moment to think about this. Betty couldn't think of a single part of her life that didn't include some kind of worry.

**B: I have no idea how to do that.**

Betty could practically hear Jughead smiling all the way from Archie's house.

**J: You should give it a shot sometime. Maybe tomorrow. You, me, Shakes at Pop's?**

Betty smiled at her phone. She knew what her boyfriend was doing.

**B: After you have dinner with your dad, sure.**

**J: Ugh, I was hoping you forgot about that.**

_Sure you were._  Betty mused.  _Or just counting on how much I wanted to spend time with you without my mother to interrupt us._

**B: I forget nothing.**

**J: Figures.**

Betty waited a minute before responding.

**B: It's gonna be fine, Jug. I promise.**

**J; Don't make promises you can't keep.**

Betty sighed. She really wanted Jughead's dinner with his father to go well. After all, she was the one that suggested it. She really hoped that Jughead's dad was really trying to live up to what he said at the police station. But she also worried about getting Jughead's hopes up.

Things were going so well for him right now, or at least that was how it seemed to her. He finally had a stable home, he and Archie seemed to be working through their issues, and things with them were incredible right now. If all of this was possible, why shouldn't he have a better relationship with his dad? Just because their relationship had failed miserably in the past doesn't mean it can't be better now. And now that she was there, Betty was sure that she could find a way to bring them closer together.

"Elizabeth Cooper, are you even listening to me?"

Betty jerked up from her phone. She had completely forgotten that her mother was in the room. Not just in the room, but Alice had spent a considerable amount of time outlining the finer points on the article she wrote about the Blossoms.

"Of course, Mom. Why wouldn't I be listening?" Betty questioned, knowing her mother would see right through the innocent tone she tried to take.

"Well the fact that you haven't looked up from your phone for more than five minutes is a strong indicator." Alice replied, nodding her head at the phone in Betty's hand.

Betty moved her phone to her pocket guiltily.

"I've been listening, Mom." Betty lied. She wasn't sure why she lied, but the words were out before Betty could stop herself.

"What is my article about?" Alice asked, crossing her arms to stare at Betty.

Betty sat up straighter, preparing herself for the inevitable line of questioning from her mom.

"The Blossoms. How the council is planning a hostile takeover of the Maple Syrup business."

Alice raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed that Betty had paid even that much attention.

_I am impressed too. I guess I am better at multi-tasking than I thought._

"Name three of the council members I just talked about in the article. I have several quotes." Alice challenged, her eyes shooting daggers at Betty.

Betty drew a blank; she couldn't even name a single member of the Blossom board.

"Ok, I wasn't listening. I am sorry, Mom." Betty apologized, humbly.

Alice sighed. Though she had been right about Betty's inattention, she still seemed defeated. Almost as defeated as Betty had been feeling all day.

"Betty, I understand that you are a teenager and that you have the desperate need to engage with your classmates on various social medias, but this is important."

"I know, Mom." Betty agreed, wondering if she could convince her mother to talk about what was bothering her. She knew her mom was more upset about Polly leaving than she wanted to admit. Maybe if she was willing to talk about it, they could be upset about Polly together.

"Mom, do you want to talk about..." Betty started.

"What could be so pressing that it requires your undivided attention?" Alice questioned, ignoring her daughter. "Does Veronica need help deciding on shoes? Or is it Kevin asking for your help with his English paper?"

"It's not Veronica or Kevin." Betty said, feeling more annoyed with her mother by the second.

"So who are you talking to?" Alice questioned, unphased by Betty's annoyed expression.

"It's Jughead, he is dealing with some stuff right now."

Alice's expression changed from stern to more understanding.

"Ah yes, Jug-head. I have been meaning to talk to you about him."

Alice took a seat in the arm chair next to the couch that Betty was currently on.

_You have?_ Betty questioned, driving thoughts of Polly from her mind for the first time all day.  _That cannot be good._

Betty hadn't intended on keeping her relationship with Jughead a secret from her mom, but it had worked out that way. She knew her mom was bound to be angry about hiding the fact that she had a boyfriend now.

_A boyfriend._ Betty smiled quickly before remembering that she should be preparing for her mother's wrath.

"What about him?" Betty asked, trying to maintain a cool tone.

"Relax, Betty. I just wanted to know a bit more about him." Alice proposed, in a way that unsettled Betty.

"You've met him before. You saw him yesterday in my room." Betty explained simply.

"Yes, I have met Jug-head, your friend." Alice stated, now folding her arms in front of Betty. "But I don't know anything about Jug-head your boyfriend. I mean, he is your boyfriend, right?"

Alice was asking questions she already knew the answers to.

_This feels like a trap._

"He is my boyfriend." Betty confirmed.

"For how long?"

"Well we started seeing each other a couple weeks ago."

"Before his arrest?' Alice asked.

"How did you…?" Betty questioned.

"It's a small town Betty and I own the local newspaper."

_Of course, that makes sense. Although now she is going to assume that Jughead is a bad influence. I can't let her think that about him._

"He wasn't arrested, Mom." Betty told her, her need to defend Jughead coming out more angry than intended "He was interrogated. Sheriff Keller incorrectly thought Jughead might know something about Jason's murder."

"Ha!" Alice laughed, the lack of humor in it was ominous. "If Tom Keller ever gets the right person on even the third try, that would be a newsworthy day."

"You believe Jughead isn't involved in Jason's death?" Betty asked, confused by her mother's tone.

"Of course he isn't." Alice told her. "The boy might be many things, but he doesn't strike me as a criminal mastermind."

Betty was stunned by her mother's acceptance of Jughead's innocence. Her mother had never been one to believe that anyone was capable of being innocent, let alone someone Betty trusted.

"Anyway, back to the subject at hand. You've been seeing each other a couple of weeks…"

"Mom, I'm sorry but I don't believe you." Betty told her mother, plainly. "How can you….why aren't you...why haven't you...Why?"

Alice sighed, as though she were about to explain something very simple to Betty.

"Elizabeth, you clearly care about and trust him. That is enough for me."

_Well that is clearly not the truth._ Betty concluded.

"It hasn't been in the past." Betty said, not caring how callous it sounded. "You never liked Jason or Archie or any other guy. Why is it different with Jughead?"

"Jason Blossom was the son of the enemy. Your father and I were never going to approve of that."

Betty looked at her mother skeptically.

"As for Archie, he was a heartbreaker, Betty." Alice told her daughter, as though this were common knowledge. "A sweet, caring kid, but he was never gonna be the guy you could count on."

Betty took a minute to think about this. Her mother hadn't approved of Archie because she thought he would hurt her.

_Is that true? Was my mother just looking out for me but in the most vindictive, controlling way possible?_

"And you think Jughead is?" Betty asked, feeling she had to know.

"Don't you?" Alice retaliated.

"I am asking you." Betty retorted. Of course she trusted Jughead. More than anyone.

Alice took a deep breath before continuing.

"You can tell a lot about a person by the way they act around the people they care about." Alice told her. "I saw the way he lunged at that guard at the Sisters. How he was so desperate to protect you. I know how hard he has worked at the Blue and Gold, though he clearly doesn't enjoy it. The way he didn't fight back when your father took cheap shots at him."

Alice smiled quickly.

"He clearly cares about you a great deal."

"And you like him?" Betty questioned. What her mother had said was pretty compelling, but Betty still couldn't believe it. Things were never that simple with her mother. Alice always found a way to see the worst in people and Betty didn't believe that she was just looking past what Alice would consider the problems with Jughead.

"Yes, Betty. I thought I made myself clear. Do you want me to dislike him?"

"Of course not." Betty replied hastily. "But I expected you to. Jughead isn't exactly the type of guy you usually push me towards."

She stared at her mother for a few moments. Betty didn't care at all where Jughead came from or anything like that, but her mother usually would. Betty wasn't ready to let her guard down on that front.

Alice clasped her hands together in a way that usually implied her speaking a harsh truth.

"The way I see it, Jug-head is just a kid who was born into a difficult situation. But he doesn't let it define him. He works diligently to prove he is more than what he was born as."

Alice took a deep breath and then continued.

"Maybe someday with the right amount of time, enough dedication to his writing, and the right partner, people can forget where he came from."

Alice said this in a way that made Betty think there was more to the story. That maybe she wasn't necessarily just talking about Jughead.

"Mom, I..." Betty just couldn't believe it. Her mom seemed to be telling her the truth this time. She actually liked Jughead, or at the very least she wanted to like Jughead. Betty found herself incredibly overwhelmed with gratitude.

"So what kind of stuff is Jughead dealing with?" Alice said, clearly trying to change the subject. "Is the Sheriff still giving him a hard time?"

_She actually wants to know. It doesn't feel like she is trying to get something out of it._

"No. He is having dinner with his dad tomorrow and he isn't sure about going." Betty explained, feeling relieved by her mother's acceptance of the situation. "I am trying to tell him everything is going to be fine."

Alice's expression changed almost instantly. She was no longer a mom asking about her daughter's before. She had grown colder, more authoritative with just a flicker of her eyes.

"I am not sure that is wise, Elizabeth." Alice informed her.

"Why not?"

"Jug-head is a good kid but FP…" Alice started, but then stopped herself as though she were carefully searching for the words. "FP is problematic."

"Problematic? But he's Jughead's dad." Betty defended.

"And sometimes we are better off without our parents." Alice stated coldly. "You shouldn't be encouraging their relationship."

"How can you say that?" Betty asked, all good feelings towards her mother wiped away in an instant.

"I'm sorry, but I've known FP for a long time." Alice told Betty, but then quickly looked panicked.

"We went to high school together." She clarified. "He has always been a mess. Lately, he has been a wrecking ball, destroying everyone around him, chasing his family away."

Alice breathed a heavy breath.

"Trust me, Jug-head is better off without his father's influence."

Betty was furious. How dare her mother decide what was best for Jughead? How dare she pretend to know who his father is based on who he was 20 something years ago? She didn't know FP and she didn't know Jughead. She judged FP for being a terrible father, but at least FP seemed to know how damaging he was to his children. He didn't go around pretending everything was perfect when his family was fractured.

"How can you sit there and talk about FP being problematic when you…"

Betty stopped herself. She wasn't sure she wanted to finish that thought aloud.

"When I what?" Alice stood up, seeming ready to face the argument.

Betty shook her head.

"When I  _what,_ Elizabeth?" Alice repeated, her voice filling with malice. "When I sent Polly away? When I allowed your father to dictate how we handled her pregnancy? How I lost her when all I wanted to do was protect her? To protect the both of you?"

Betty stood there shocked. Her mother had clearly been thinking about these things as much as she had. She had been going through it all over and over again in her head too. All the ways that she had lost her daughter were clearly still bothering her too.

"Mom, I…" Betty started, not sure what she intended to say.

"Maybe I haven't been doing things right. I haven't been protecting you in the right way. But that changes." Alice said, walking over to her laptop and clicking on her newly written article.

"What are you doing?" Betty asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

"The right thing." Alice said, pulling out a flash drive. "Protecting you and the rest of this town from dangerous influences."

After a few seconds, Alice pocketed the flash drive and grabbed her keys off the mantle.

"Where are you going, Mom?"

"To the newspaper." Alice told her, as she grabbed her coat. "I can't think of a better way to protect you than to show the town who the Blossoms really are."

Betty ran, grabbing her coat too.

"This isn't going to bring Polly back." she told her mom as they walked out the front door.

"This isn't about Polly. This is about the truth. It is about time people faced it." Alice told her, sounding more determined than ever.

Betty followed her mother, glancing quickly over at the Andrews' house as they began to walk down the street to the newspaper. How had a conversation about her mother approving of Jughead so quickly turned to disaster?


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x09: Betty and Jughead talk about her family at the Blue and Gold

Betty was still reeling from the events of the previous night.

Watching her mother storm into the Riverdale Register and demand that her father publish the expose she had written was tougher than Betty had imagined it would be. She was still angry at her father, but it didn't make Betty happy to watch her parents tear each other apart. As much as she tried to be supportive of her mother's intentions to publish the story she had written about the Blossoms, Betty spent the entire time during the confrontation with her father feeling conflicted. She didn't think publishing an expose would bring Polly back, but at least her mother was trying to make things right. Her father had seemed to decide the path of least resistance was just to avoid the issue, avoid their family, distance himself from their lives. True, her mother had kicked him out, but he wasn't exactly trying to win her back. He wasn't trying to make amends; he still seemed to think trying to force Polly into a decision she didn't want to make was the right choice.

_Maybe I should just accept that he is gone. My dad has gone too far and he will never be back in our lives again._

Betty stifled the tears welling up behind her eyes. She wasn't quite sure if she was upset at the prospect of her family being forever divided or angry that it didn't seem like anyone else in the family seemed to care. Betty felt like she was the only one who was standing on the sidelines, watching the people she loved most in the world decide that they didn't love each other anymore. Everyone else had decided to look out for themselves and their own feelings while Betty stood on the sidelines and lost everything.

Betty had to take a deep breath. She still had another 10 minutes left of class and she didn't want to fall apart in front of everyone.

_I really wish I could talk to Jughead right now._

She glanced over to the corner of the room, the place where Jughead was sitting. Betty had really hoped to have the chance to talk to him before class today, but he hadn't shown up til about 30 seconds before class began, looking slightly disheveled.

_He must have overslept._ Betty had concluded at the time.  _How was he to know that I would need early morning reconciliation?_

Betty had briefly explained to Jughead last night what had happened with her parents. As much as one could explain the events of the previous night in a text message. She had listed it without any emotional attachment, too stunned at the time to have really decided how she felt about her mother throwing a brick at her father. She had hoped writing it would be enough to dull the emotional nagging in her head. But it hadn't. She had slept terribly, tossing and turning and finding a new thing to worry about every few minutes.

She had tried denying her thoughts over and over again, but she couldn't help feeling like this downward spiral wasn't going to get any better. If she tried not to think about it, it snuck up on her and broke her. If she tried to analyze it, it made things so much worse.

_How am I going to fix this? Can I even fix this? What could I even do to make things better?_

Betty could feel the tears about to fall from her eyes. She wasn't sure if she could hold them in anymore when the bell rang signalling the end of class.

Betty grabbed her books and practically ran out the door. She sniffled as she made her way down the hall and darted into the Blue and Gold office, taking a deep gulping breath as she threw herself against the desk facing the window and suppressed the urge to scream.

_How am I supposed to get through the rest of the day? How am I supposed to go home and face this madness?_

Betty sobbed, unable to keep her emotions concealed. Tears flowed from her as she tried to calm herself down, knowing her solitude was only temporary.

Just as Betty cleared her throat, she heard the door open behind her.

"Sorry I didn't meet you in here before class." Jughead started. Betty could hear him putting his bag down and pulling his laptop out of it. "But it was for a good cause."

Betty could hear how unhindered his voice sounded. How very un-Jughead of him.

_I can't drag him into this._ Betty concluded.  _If he is happy, I should let him be._

Betty quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes and tried to silently gulp for air, hoping Jughead wouldn't notice.

She turned around and tried her best to smile and not let her inner struggles come through.

Jughead was staring at his laptop, not looking in her direction. Betty was relieved to have an extra few seconds to compose herself. He clicked few buttons on his laptop, and then smiled as he emphatically clicked the last one.

"My newest chapter and your newest article done on time for a change." Jughead explained, gesturing to his laptop. "Should be in your email as we speak."

Betty felt herself smile, but she knew it wasn't her normal one. She was thrilled that Jughead had actually met a deadline, but it wasn't enough to pull her out of her misery.

"That's great Juggie." Betty replied, trying to sound her normally enthusiastic self.

It was clear from the moment that she spoke that Jughead didn't buy it. He looked at her and then his face changed to serious.

He moved away from his desk and walked over to her.

"What's wrong?" Jughead asked, looking incredibly concerned.

Betty shook her head, not sure she could manage to get the words out.

Jughead looked at her skeptically.

"Is it Cheryl again?" Jughead asked, looking behind him to the door. "Did she say something else about Polly?"

_Cheryl. The blissful time of yesterday when my problems consisted solely of Cheryl Blossom's making._

"No, Jug." Betty tried to tell him. "It's nothing. It's nothing I can change."

"Betty. I think we both know that is not true." Jughead said, placing his hands on her arms. "What is there in the world that Betty Cooper can't accomplish?"

_Cooper._ Betty thought.  _A name that is quickly disintegrating._

Betty took a deep breath.

"Is this about your parents?" Jughead continued to question.

Betty winced as he accurately guessed her problem. Jughead clearly took note of this.

"You said things got intense. What happened exactly?" Jughead asked, folding his arms in front of him.

Betty glanced up at him.

_Should I tell him?_

Just as she considered this, the bell signaling that they should be heading to their next class. Betty walked past Jughead, heading towards the door.

"Please talk to me, Betts." Jughead asked.

It wasn't pleading, but the simple request of it made it so hard for Betty to resist. She had wanted to tell him before and as much as she didn't want to burden him, he clearly wanted the burden.

"It's madness. I am not sure I can explain it rationally." Betty said, turning back to see him leaning against his desk.

"So don't." Jughead told her. "Just tell me what happened. Believe me, there is nothing you can claim happened that I wouldn't believe was the truth."

_Because you understand how terrible the world can be. Something I am just recently learning about._

"It's just...ugh." Betty started, feeling annoyed. She began to pace, hoping that the movement would make the story easier to tell.

_Just say it. Jughead will understand._

"My parents are unbelievable, Jug." she began, the anger already radiating through her. "Polly is locked up in that house like a character out of Jane Eyre and what are they doing?"

Betty took a deep breath and allowed herself to tell him what had happened.

"They're changing each other's log in accounts and throwing bricks through windows."

_My mother threw a brick through a window, aiming at my father. How messed up is that?_ Betty thought, tormenting herself.

"Wish I had seen that."

Betty knew he was just being Jughead. He was trying to make light of the situation to make it more bearable. Something she would normally have appreciated, but right now it felt like a slap to the face. When all she can think about is how everything she has known her entire life was falling apart, she couldn't find any humor in the situation.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with the true lack of amusement.

Jughead looked instantly regretful.

"Ok, I'm sorry. It's not funny." he said, his tone much more serious now.

_At least he is trying to understand._ Betty told herself as she continued to spill all of her inner turmoil over the past hours.

"It is like how you know in a time of crisis people either come together or fall apart?"

Jughead nodded.

"It feels like we're falling apart." Betty told him, hearing her voice break in the process.

_Or that we have already fallen apart._

"And the way things are going, soon the Coopers aren't going to exist anymore and there's nothing I can do to stop that."

Betty couldn't hold back anymore. The tears started falling. Everything was such a mess. Her sister was gone. Her parents were split up with no hope of reconciliation. It was only a matter of time before Betty found herself being the only one left standing.

_I can't do it. How can I go through this alone? I am not capable of being the last one._

"Betty, don't do that." Jughead started, his voice sounding panicked. "Don't give up."

_How can he ask me not to give up? After everything that has happened, how is there any other choice but to stand by and watch them crumble?_

_But he looks so concerned. He looks so genuinely hurt that I am falling apart._

"You're family is definitely splintering right now but it won't fall apart because of you." Jughead explained.

_Me? What can I do? All I have been capable of is standing by and allowing terrible things to happen to and because of people I love._

"It's because you're holding them together."

_I'm trying to, at least. I don't feel like I am succeeding._

"You're so much stronger than all of the white noise. You're stronger than your mother. You're stronger than your father."

_How can you think that?_ Betty wondered. She didn't have to question if Jughead was just saying this to make her feel better. All she had to do was to look into his eyes and see that he thought it was true.

_How can you think I am so strong when I feel so weak?_

"You're holding this family together so don't, don't let go."

_Jughead is asking me not to give up. He thinks I am somehow capable of keeping things together. I really don't know why he thinks this; all I've done is lose everything I tried to keep together. Why does he think I can make a difference._

Jughead reached over to grip the collar of her shirt.

It was like he was pulling on her heart. The grip he had on her collar seemed to be saying something that he wasn't saying aloud.

_Don't let go of them. I will hold on to you while you hold on to them._ Betty could almost hear Jughead thinking.

"I won't." Betty feebly responded as she leaned into to Jughead.

Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her.

It was the first time Betty had felt comforted since her mother kicked her father out. She sunk into the feeling as Jughead held her close. He didn't seem want to let her go and Betty didn't want him to. She let more tears fall as she rested her head on his shoulder.

With every sob, Jughead gripped her tighter.

_Is he right? Can I hold my family together? I know he believes it, but why should I?_

"Am I really strong enough to keep my family together?" Betty asked, her voice much lower than it had been seconds before.

"You are strong enough for anything, Betts." he told her, his lips pressing against her neck.

Betty closed her eyes, allowing the bliss of Jughead's lips against her neck take over for a moment. But after a moment, once his lips had moved away, she went back to thinking about her family.

"Why do you believe that?" Betty asked, pulling away only slightly, just so she could look him in the eye.

Jughead looked at her like she had asked him what two plus two was.

"Because you are Betty Cooper." he told her bluntly.

Betty smiled this time.

"My name is a brand of strength?" she questioned, hearing some of the resolve returning to her voice.

Jughead smiled back at her, seeming to feel like he was making her feel better.

"It should be. You started up a dead newspaper to solve the murder of a kid you didn't even like. You found your sister in impossible circumstances and made her feel safe. You've survived living with Alice Cooper for sixteen years which in and of itself should put you in a Herculean class."

Betty smiled weakly once again.

"There is nothing you are not capable of." Jughead told her, his hand coming up to graze her cheek. "As long as you are determined to make it happen."

_Jughead's right._ Betty concluded.  _There is nothing in my life that wasn't earned through hard work. I worked hard, I fought and I am here because of it. Why can't I do the same for my family?_

Betty felt herself stand a little taller.

"Thanks, Juggie." Betty replied, kissing him on the cheek.

_There's one more thing I have done that Jughead didn't mentioned. I turned him into a person who had hope, something he has never seemed to have in great supply. It was in me, but at least it was there._

"I have to go." Betty said, breaking apart from Jughead and grabbing her books. "Wouldn't want to miss anymore of Geography than I already have."

Jughead let her go, but looked concerned and as she began to walk away from him, he reached out for her.

"Are you going to be ok?" he asked, stepping towards her to hold her hand.

Betty smiled at his touch.

"I'm strong, remember. I will be alright."

"Of course you will, Betts."

Betty walked out of the office, feeling a sudden renewed faith in herself. She would work hard and her family would make it through this. It might not be perfect, but maybe it would real and that could really change the world as Betty knew it.


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x09: Jughead and FP have dinner.

_I can always just turn around. Say I forgot or have homework._

Jughead was standing outside of Pop's at about 6:45 on the night he planned to have dinner with his father. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stop thinking that things were going to be awful

_I probably won't need an excuse anyway. He probably forgot or is already drinking his day away. All I have to do is turn around and walk away._

But Jughead didn't move. No matter how much he was dreading it, he couldn't make himself leave.

_I told Betty I would try to make this work. I can't honestly say I did unless I walk into that diner and accept disappointment in whatever form it decides to come in._

Jughead took a deep breath as he ascended the small set of stairs in front of the diner. As he walked in, he reached into his bag to grab his laptop. Even if his father didn't show up, at least he could get some work done on his novel. If his dad disappointed him, he was prepared to pretend this was just like any other night.

He started to walk over to his favorite booth, preparing to order his usual coffee when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, Jughead!"

Jughead turned around to see his father already sitting in a booth closer to the other side of the diner. He looked as though he had been there for awhile, hard hat sitting next to him as he took a sip of his cup of coffee.

_Not only on time, my dad is early?_

Jughead shook his head, almost unable to comprehend this turn of events.

_My dad is here, on time, and looking as though he hasn't had a drink all day at least._

He walked over to his father's booth, for some reason feeling more nervous than before.

"Hey, kid. Thanks for meeting with me." FP said, sliding out to stand next to his son.

_He looks ok. It might have even been a few days since his last drink. Doesn't seem to be shaky and looks more tired than usual._

"No problem." Jughead said, trying to give his dad a chance since he actually seemed to be trying.

FP extended his arms briefly, as though he were considering hugging Jughead. Jughead unintentionally cringed, causing FP to back up a little. Instead, he patted Jughead briefly on the shoulder then shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Would you like this side of the booth?" FP asked, gesturing to the side he just vacated.

"Nah, I am ok over here." Jughead said, sitting on the opposite side of the booth.

"Good. Good." FP nodded as he slide back into his seat, glancing around. "Did you see the waitress when you walked in?"

Jughead shook his head, already incredibly uncomfortable.

"No, but it shift change right now. Someone should be out in a few minutes." he reassured his father.

FP looked at him curiously.

"You know when there is a shift change?" FP asked, his voice skeptical.

"I've spent a lot of time here." Jughead defended, though not quite sure why he felt so defensive about his dining habits.

FP didn't respond. The two of them looked in opposite directions.

_I believe Norman Rockwell will be here any moment to illustrate this classic example of father/son bonding._

Minutes passed, neither of them so much as stealing a glance of the other one when the waitress at long last showed up to take their order.

"I'll have a cheeseburger, fries and a coke." Jughead ordered hurriedly.

"No shake dear?" the waitress asked, looking confused.

Jughead glanced at his dad who was staring at the menu, avoiding eye contact.

"Maybe later." Jughead told her, not sure if he wanted to stick around long enough for a shake after dinner.

The waitress then turned her attention to FP. "And for you?"

"Same, except I want a chocolate and banana shake." FP told her, smiling as he handed her the menu.

"Right away." the waitress smiled, writing down the order and walking back behind the counter.

Now that the waitress was gone, Jughead was beginning to feel the pressure. He felt like he should say something to his dad, but he wasn't sure what. He didn't really want to talk about himself and it seemed like an unnecessary low blow to bring up his mom and Jellybean. But it wasn't like he and his dad had any common interests. Maybe movies, but Jughead didn't exactly feel like striking up a conversation about which Godfather movie was the best. They had decided years ago the second one was, but even so it didn't seem right to bring up something so casual when their relationship was so broken.

_But we can't just sit here like this forever._ Jughead thought, as he looked out the window to the practically empty parking lot.  _One of us is gonna have to say something or else what was the point of even coming here tonight._

_If someone is going to talk first, it should be me. I am the one who asked for this dinner._ Jughead concluded, internally groaning.

Jughead cleared his throat and turned to face his dad, who was adjusting the cuffs on his jacket, still avoiding eye contact.

"So, how it work going?" Jughead asked.

_Awkward, but it was the first thing that sprang to mind._

FP smiled, seeming glad that Jughead decided to speak first.

He looked up at Jughead and he seemed happy to talk about it.

"Things are going great, Jug." FP told him, sounding proud. "Which is no surprise to me but I am sure ol Freddy is floored."

Jughead nodded but felt his eyes narrow, glancing back out the window. He hated when his dad talked about Archie's dad like that. Like being a good person who followed the rules made you less than everyone else. At least Archie wasn't sitting in a booth in front of a stranger trying to make amends.

FP looked at Jughead, clearly realizing that Jughead hadn't enjoyed his response. He cleared his throat and seemed to want to try again.

"It's a huge project. I can't say I have ever been part of a more intense one. But it is decent job and I think this project could last us for at least 6 months."

_Six months? Since when have you been able to see past six days, let alone months?_

"Really?" Jughead asked, skepticism filling his tone. "And you're ok with that?"

FP smiled, leaning forward.

"Of course I am Jug." FP told him. "I've been working my ass off for the past couple weeks. My crew has never been this fortunate when it comes to work. Although God knows what we are actually building."

"So you don't know either?" Jughead asked. Fred had told them it was gonna be big, but he didn't go into the details of what it was. Archie assumed his dad just didn't know what he was building.

"Know? Hell, I doubt anyone knows except whoever owns it." FP supplied.

"Do you know who owns it?" Jughead asked, finding himself leaning closer to his dad, wanting to engage in this conversation.

FP looked at his son carefully, but then he backed away.

_He knows._ Jughead concluded.  _Somehow he knows when Archie's dad doesn't. But he can't or won't say anything._

Before Jughead could press his father further, the waitress showed up with their order.

"Thanks, Norma" Jughead said, nodding at the waitress and shoving some fries in his mouth.

FP took a bite of his cheeseburger, now staring at his plate.

_Well at least we almost had a conversation._ Jughead thought bitterly as he took a bite of his own burger.

FP then cleared his throat.

"Let's talk about you. How's school going?" FP asked, leaning back and taking a swig of his milkshake.

Jughead scowled at his father.

_Of course. Why should we have a conversation about something that actually matters when we can focus on the banality of my daily life._

"Fine." Jughead said, trying to hide the bitterness that was threatening to swallow him.

FP smiled. The sudden change in his son's mood didn't seem to bother him.

"Actual fine or Jughead fine?" FP asked.

Jughead looked at his father questioningly.

"What's Jughead fine?" he questioned.

"Where you lie and tell me everything is going fine, but you're actually doing poorly in classes you could be doing alright in if you actually tried."

Jughead was shocked. His dad knew? He knew that Jughead would lie about doing well in school? Not once in the ten years that Jughead had been keeping track had he noticed FP even look at his report card.

_Maybe he was paying attention, but in the least attentive way possible._

"I guess it is Jughead fine." Jughead conceded, though he was smiling. "Although, I don't care what you say, I could never be good at geometry."

"You could." FP said. "If you would sit down and study with me."

Jughead raised his eyebrows.

"You're good at geometry?" Jughead questioned. It never occurred to him to think about things his father might be good at.

FP laughed. It didn't seem as cruel or encumbered as his usual laugh. It seemed genuine and the thought of that made Jughead smile.

"I'm in the construction biz, aren't I? You think that Fred was the only brains of the operation back in the day?" FP joked, eating some more of his fries.

Jughead winced. The topic of Fred's betrayal was bound to bring out the darker side of his father.

_I always knew it was a matter of time. FP Jones plus Time always leads to disaster._

"Or you could just work a little harder on your own." FP said, changing the direction of the conversation. "Maybe spend some of the time you are hanging out in this diner working on some actual homework."

Jughead grinned as he took a bite of his burger.

_That almost felt paternal._ Jughead thought, feeling grateful that he father hadn't gone to the dark side just yet.

Jughead felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a text message.

**B: Thank you for being there today. I really needed a pep talk and you are surprising good at them. How are things going with your dad?**

Jughead smiled despite himself. Even when she is dealing with a major family emotional crisis, she never hesitated to take time to think of him.

_How is Betty capable of being as incredible as she is? How did I end up so lucky?_

Jughead continued to smile at his phone as he took another bite of his burger.

Jughead looked up and noticed his father looking at him with a grin slapped across his face.

"So how's your girlfriend? Betty, was it?" FP asked, biting into his fry as though he had made a serious deduction.

Jughead nearly spit out his bite of burger. How on earth did his father know about Betty? He couldn't help the instant panic he felt.

_We were so careful around him. We didn't touch, we didn't even really look at each other around him. How could he know?_

"I never said she was my girlfriend." Jughead told his father, already defensive.

FP looked surprised by Jughead's reaction.

"Relax, kid. You didn't have to." FP told him, holding his hands up and leaning away from Jughead. "I saw the way you were together. At the Sheriff's station, in my trailer. The two of you don't exactly believe in personal space."

Jughead tried not to blush. He hadn't considered that. Jughead was usually super aware of people being in his personal space, but with Betty, he never seemed to notice how close she was. In fact, he would often find himself scooting closer to her if she felt too far away.

_Ugh, I am one of those people._ Jughead thought about his need to be closer to his girlfriend.

"Not to mention, that was a pretty epic kiss outside the trailer." FP smiled, sipping at his shake.

"You were watching us?" Jughead asked, feeling somehow more uncomfortable than he had before.

"Not watching. Just making sure you guys got off ok. Didn't know I was interrupting something." FP defended.

Jughead nodded. It seemed like an honest mistake but it was still incredibly embarrassing for him to think of his father watching him kiss his girlfriend.

"Hey, listen. There is nothing wrong or embarrassing about dating a girl. Or even a little PDA as long as you like her and you treat her right."

_Ok. I kinda wish I was dead right now._ Jughead thought, looking away from his dad and shoving some fries in his mouth.  _Maybe what killed Jason Blossom was the idea of talking to his parents about his relationship._

Jughead shuffled in his seat, scrambling to think of any way to change the topic of conversation.

"Are you?" FP asked, looking at his son curiously.

"Am I what?" Jughead replied, not sure if his father had said something while he was considering throwing himself out the window.

"Treating her right? Respect and appreciation and all that…" FP said, spinning his hand around in a circle.

_And all that? No need to figure out where my attitude towards women comes from._

Despite how embarrassing this was, Jughead could see that his dad's question was a genuine one. Even though Jughead wanted to pull his beanie over his face, he could see that there was a concern there. Did FP worry that Jughead wasn't treating Betty the way she should be treated? Was he concerned that his influence over Jughead had ruined his chances of having a good relationship with a girl?

_A shock to you and me both, believe me._ Jughead thought bitterly.  _But at least you are concerned. At least you seem to care._

"I hadn't really thought about it." Jughead told his dad honestly. "I don't really treat her very differently than before we were dating. She's still Betty, she is just my girlfriend, Betty now."

_My girlfriend, Betty. I just told my dad I have a girlfriend. How twisted does the world feel now?_

"That's good, Jug." FP nodded approvingly. "Never forget that a woman is more than just the role she plays in your life."

Jughead nodded, wondering where this wisdom his dad was imparting on him was coming from. Did it come from him realizing his failings in his relationship with Jughead's mom? Was there something more to it?

They sat in silence for a few minutes after this, both focusing on finishing their meals. As much as Jughead appreciated his father's attention, he was desperate not to talk any more about his relationship.

"So how's it going at the school newspaper?" FP asked, seeming eager to start another conversation.

Jughead snapped his head up and stared at his dad. His dad  _knew_ he was on the paper?

"Archie said you were on the paper with Betty the last time we had dinner together." FP explained, as though reading Jughead's mind.

_Right. The dinner where I spent the entire time internally cringing as you pretended to know me. Or at least pretended that you understood and approved of me._

Jughead nodded, suddenly feeling bitter again.

"Surprised you remember that dinner." Jughead remarked, not bothering to hide his sarcasm.

"You mean because of how hard I hit the bottle after it?" FP added, unashamedly.

_One thing that could be said about my dad, he doesn't pretend to be something he isn't. He knows how much of a mess his is. Must be where I get it from._

Rather than answering, Jughead lifted his eyebrows in response. It didn't need saying.

"I'm sorry about that Jug. All of it." FP simply stated.

Jughead didn't need him to continue. It wasn't the first time in Jughead's life that FP apologized for drinking. It probably wouldn't be the last either. But at least he was doing more than apologizing this time. He was working, he was listening, he was engaging.

_What more can I ask of him? He is actually trying to do better this time. And maybe, somehow, this could be the time it sticks._

"Yes. I am on the school paper. The Blue and Gold." Jughead told his father.

"I'm surprised. Never really thought journalism would be your thing." FP remarked.

"It's not." Jughead told him. "Not really. I am mostly just converting parts of my novel into articles."

FP sat up on his side of the booth again.

"Novel? You are writing a novel?" FP asked, sounding astonished.

Jughead felt immediately surprised by his father's interest. As much as he claimed to, FP had never cared about Jughead's literary pursuits.

"Yes. It is about Jason Blossom's murder."

FP's eyes got huge. He seemed floored and if Jughead was reading him correctly concerned.

"Nice going, kid. Tell me more about it." FP said, leaning back, drinking the last of his shake.

"Really? You actually want to know?" Jughead questioned, not sure he could believe his father's sudden interest.

FP took a deep breath, his face becoming neutral.

"Yes, Jughead. I actually want to know." FP confirmed.

"Well, I start it out on the 4th of July…" Jughead begins, feeling excited to share the concept of his novel with a new audience.

As Jughead explained the basic construction of his novel, he watched his father engage. He was asking questions, looking invested in the answers. Jughead could hardly believe how much his father seemed to care.

"I hope you will let me read it." FP told him. "Once you feel like you are ready for an audience."

"Well, it is not done yet. True crime doesn't really end til the murder is solved. But I can show you what I have."

FP was about to respond when the waitress walked back over to them.

"Can I get you guys anything else?" She asked, gathering the empty plates from the table.

"Yes. Another Chocolate and Banana shake for me." FP said, handing her the glass. He smiled over at Jughead as he said this.

"And I'll have the dark chocolate mocha shake." Jughead added, smiling.

And from there Jughead relaunched into an explanation of his novel, shocked with every passing second that his dad seemed to be paying attention.

While in the midst of discussing this, Jughead quickly typed out a message to Betty.

**J: Everything is going great, Betts. I will call you later to tell you about it.**

It surprised Jughead more than anything that this was true.

_Maybe Betty was right. Maybe he can change and this time can be different._


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x10: Kevin tries to figure out what happened between Betty and Chuck

"Can we talk about something else? Like Jughead's surprise party." Betty enthused, desperate to change the subject.

Confronting Chuck Clayton had seemed like a good idea in the moment, but after she did it, she felt unhinged. Every word Chuck spoke to her in their brief interaction in the cafeteria filled Betty with more shame and anger than she was prepared to deal with. She hadn't dealt with how destructive their last meeting was to her and the cracks were showing through with his arrival. Betty's fist began to ache from the intensity she was clutching them. As she uncurled them, she could see the scars she had opened up and had to force back tears.

_It doesn't matter. Chuck Clayton doesn't matter. He has no affect on me._

Betty kept repeating these lies to herself, hoping she could convince herself. Or at least, that she could convince herself enough to pretend it didn't matter outwardly.

_I need to forget about him. I need to feel the opposite of this. What is the opposite of hopeless, broken, and weak?_

_Jughead._

Just thinking about him was almost enough to drive away the terrible thoughts that were plaguing her. She had to focus on something else, on someone else. Who better to focus on than Jughead and his lack of birthday parties?

_Besides, Jughead needs this. How has he never had someone in life who was willing to throw him a party? Has no one ever cared about him as much as I do?_

"Look, there's a lot I can't do. A lot I can't control. But I can damn well make sure my boyfriend has the best birthday of his life." Betty told her friends.

_There. Something important to focus on._

"Screw it, I'm with Betty." Archie jumped in, completely changing his tune from moments ago. "My dad's away, we can do it at my house. I think we can all use a good time."

_Thank you, Archie. Now the planning can officially begin._

"Now you're talking my language." Veronica added, seeming enthused by the prospect of a party.

"It's gonna be epic!" Archie reassured Betty as the table buzzed with excitement.

Before the planning could get more detailed, the bell signaling the end of lunch rang. Archie and Veronica quickly departed from the cafeteria, leaving Betty alone with her thoughts for the first time since her encounter with Chuck.

She sighed as she packed away the few books she had brought out during lunch.

_There's so much to get done in such a short period of time._ Betty thought as she packed her books away.  _How am I going to get it done before tomorrow night?_

Betty walked out of the cafeteria, but not a minute after she left she heard someone jogging behind her.

"Hey Betty, wait." Betty heard Kevin.

"Sure, Kev. What's up?" Betty asked, pausing to wait for him to catch up.

Kevin looked up and down the hallway briefly, before pulling her into the Blue and Gold office "Can we talk?"

Betty felt herself tense up.

_This must be serious if Kevin wants to have this discussion alone._

"Sure Kevin." Betty responded, putting her backpack down and leaning against her desk. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Kevin said, though he looked as though this couldn't be the further from the truth.

Betty had questions, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answers to them.

"Alright." Betty replied, not really sure why Kevin would hold her back if he nothing to say.

They stood in silence for a few moments, Betty looking out the window clutching her books.

_If I don't say something, I might be here all day and I have things to do._

"Do you have some suggestions for Jughead's party?" Betty asked, though certain that wasn't it.

Kevin folded his arms across his books, his fingers tapping against them anxiously. 

"No." Kevin replied, quickly looking down to his shoes. "Well yes, of course, but that is not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"I figured." Betty replied, suddenly annoyed.

_Why couldn't he have just brought this up in the cafeteria with everyone else? Unless..._

Betty watched as Kevin took in a deep breath. He looked as though he were preparing for a confrontation.

"What happened between you and Chuck? That night at Ethel's?" Kevin asked, sounding concerned.

Betty froze. She hadn't told Kevin what had happened that night at Ethel's with Chuck. No one knew outside herself, Veronica and Chuck. And Betty hoped against hope that she could keep it that way. But with Chuck being back at school and Betty's reaction to it, she knew she couldn't expect people not to have questions.

_Questions or not, I am not prepared to answer them. Kevin is just going to have to understand that._

"I interrogated him. He gave in." Betty replied, her voice quavering.

_He's never going to believe that._

"It seems like there is more than that. It seems like something major happened." Kevin replied, stepping closer to her.

"Nothing happened, Kevin." Betty told him, hurriedly, her voice giving away the lie.

Kevin stood there for a moment, then sighed. He knew her too well. He knew that there was something more than she was willing to say.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Kevin explained, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You can trust me."

"Of course." Betty replied.

Kevin's eyes filled with sadness. It wasn't as though she enjoyed lying to Kevin, but she just couldn't handle this right now.

"I guess I understand that you can't talk to me about it." Kevin reasoned, though he sounded hurt as he said it. "But have you at least talked to Jughead?"

Betty stood there with surprised expression. It seemed strange for Kevin to bring this up.

"Why would I talk to Jughead about it?" she asked, turning away from him to straighten the already straight papers on her desk.

Kevin walked over to her desk and grabbed a pen, quickly glancing at her face as he did so.

"Because something happened between you and one of the most notoriously hated guys in the school." Kevin explained, clicking the pen nervously in his hand. "Shouldn't Jughead know the details?"

Betty paused. Things had been going so well for her lately. They had been going well for her on a mental standpoint, anyway. She hadn't had to deal with her dark instincts in weeks. Jughead seemed like a big part of that for her. How could things get dark when he brought so much light into her world?

Betty quickly smiled as she thought about Jughead. How supportive he had been over the last few weeks. How hard he had worked to make things better for her. He tried so hard to be everything she needed him to be. But Betty wasn't ready to completely need him.

She wished she could talk to him about Chuck. She wished she could even talk to Kevin about it. But it was still so new. The gashes on her hand reopened today and she felt the pain and angst of that night as if it had just happened moments ago. She could still see Chuck, covered in maple syrup in the hot tub, begging Betty to release him. But she couldn't let him go. She had to make him see what he and other guys like him put women through. She had to remain in control. And in doing so she had lost control. And she just couldn't rehash it, relive it, even to tell the people she loved most about it.

_No. I can't deal with this. Especially not with everything going on right now. Jughead's birthday is coming up and if I don't plan this party then it won't happen. And Jughead deserves this. He deserves to be appreciate. All of this can wait._

"He doesn't need to know the details because there is nothing to know." Betty told Kevin, her tone as neutral as she could possibly make it.

"But Betty…" Kevin started, clearly seeing through the tone Betty was trying to convey.

"Kevin, I would love to chat, but I have a party to plan and I need to convince Jughead's dad to come." Betty told him, grabbing her backpack and preparing to leave the office. "I have a lot on my plate, but maybe we can talk later?"

She smiled at him, though her smile felt painfully forced.

Kevin looked incredibly disappointed.

"Sure, but I just wanted to say…" Kevin started once again.

"Goodbye Kevin." Betty said, finality ringing in her words as she exited the office in a rush.

_I hope that is the end of this for awhile._ Betty thought as she opened her locker to put her backpack away, preparing to head to the construction site to talk to Jughead's dad.

* * *

Jughead was sitting in the biology lab by himself. Falling asleep one too many times in class had earned him spending his entire lunch hour cleaning beakers for their biology class. Not exactly his idea of how to spend a Friday afternoon.

He was putting away the last of the beakers when Kevin walked into the room, clutching a book in his hand nervously.

"Good afternoon, Jughead. Betty said Phlegm had you cleaning beakers during lunch?" he began, glancing over at the wall of beakers.

Jughead nodded.

"Sometimes I think he is purposefully boring so that we doze off or daydream so he can force us to clean beakers. It is a scheme so he doesn't have to do it." Kevin explained.

_He's being too conversational. And about beakers?_

"A brilliant one at that." Jughead replied, sitting back down on a stool. "So what's up?"

Kevin looked amazed that Jughead caught on as he placed the book on the table in front him.

"What makes you think something is up?" Kevin said, sitting down on the stool in front of Jughead.

Jughead smirked.

"Because you're you and you are always painfully obvious when you are hiding something." Jughead explained.

Kevin looked surprised, but pleased. Jughead considered himself a great observer, someone who could just read people. But some people were much easier to read than other. Kevin was the kind of guy who wore his heart and his mind on his sleeve. Something that Jughead would never admit to appreciating about him.

"Ok, I do have something to talk about, but I am not sure I should." Kevin confided

"Ok. Well if you don't think you should..." Jughead began, not sure why Kevin was coming to him to gossip. Jughead had never once implied that he enjoyed gossip and he didn't think Kevin would be oblivious enough to try it.

"It is probably none of my business." Kevin hurriedly stated. "But Betty is my best friend and you are her boyfriend. Then again, she  _is my_  best friend and you are  _her_ boyfriend."

_Did he just use his pro as a con for confiding in me? And did he mention Betty?_

Kevin wanting to gossip about Betty made Jughead very upset. Especially that he wanted to do so with him. Kevin probably didn't see it that way, but Jughead knew that if there was something that was important to Betty, he would know about it.

"Listen Kevin, I appreciate what I think is concern, but if Betty has something on her mind, she will talk to me about it."

"That's the thing. I don't think she will." Kevin told him.

_Wait. What? Betty wouldn't intentionally hide something from me. Would she?_

"Why not?" Jughead asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Because she is desperate to hide it." Kevin explained.

"Hide what?" Jughead asked, hating himself for wanting to know.

"That's the thing, I don't know." Kevin told him.

_So Kevin came in here to talk to me about gossip about Betty that he doesn't even know. Brilliant._

"I'm not sure, but it seems like this is less about what I need to know and more about your confusion." Jughead concluded.

"Jughead, this is not about what I need to know." Kevin replied, angrily. "This is about Betty. This is about what just happened in the cafeteria."

Jughead paused.

_The cafeteria?_

Jughead glanced at his phone. No new messages. If something happened in the cafeteria, Betty would have told him, wouldn't she?

"What happened?"

"Chuck Clayton is back. He is no longer suspended." Kevin informed him.

Jughead nodded, understanding things a little more clearly now. He didn't know what had happened between Chuck and Betty, but he remembered seeing her the night that it happened. She was completely destroyed by it. Barely holding on. He remembered the way she shook, gripping her fists tightly as if she were trying desperately to hold on to something.

But she hadn't mentioned it since though, so Jughead had assumed she had put whatever happened behind her. And while he didn't know what had happened, Jughead could see someone like Chuck taking revenge.

"Did he do something to Betty?" Jughead asked, not sure what he could have possibly done in the middle of a school day.

"Kind of." Kevin explained, though looking as though even he didn't understand what was happening "When Betty saw Chuck approach Ethel, she went over to intervene. But it didn't go well."

"What does that even mean?" Jughead asked, annoyed by Kevin's vagueness.

"I couldn't hear, but Betty shouted at him, Jughead. Shouted, in the middle of the cafeteria."

_Betty shouted at Chuck. Just for talking to Ethel? That doesn't sound like her. There has to be more to it._

"And when she came back to the table, she was unfocused. She wasn't making eye contact and she was determined to change the subject. She was trying to pretend that nothing happened. But you should have seen her. I just know if you had, you would understand why I needed to talk to you about it, Jug."

Jughead nodded once again. Kevin seemed genuinely concerned about what had happened between Betty and Chuck. He seemed curious, but at least Jughead believed that Kevin's curiosity was less about the gossip potential and more his general concern for Betty.

"I tried talking to her about after lunch, but she wouldn't tell me. I am not sure if it is too personal or if she thinks I wouldn't understand. But that doesn't matter." Kevin said, hurriedly.

"What does matter then?" Jughead asked.

"That you know. As her boyfriend, I think it is important that you know that she is dealing with something." Kevin told him.

_Kevin is probably right about that. I don't need to know the details, but if she is upset enough to start a fight in the cafeteria then I should at least be aware of it._

"Now that you know, you can decide what to do." Kevin explained, grabbing his book.

_Decide what to do?_

"What do you mean?"

"Ugh, relationship 101." Kevin groaned, apparently feeling as though he were explaining the most simple thing in the world. "Whether or not you want to talk to her about it. Maybe if she thinks you already know, she will be more likely to share with you."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Well then at least you know something is up." Kevin concluded. "Maybe you can be there for her the next time she decides to go toe to toe with Chuck."

_Makes sense. It doesn't sound like this issue with Betty and Chuck is over. I need to at least ask her about it. If she doesn't say anything, fine. But she should know that I am there if she needs me._

"Thanks Kevin." Jughead said, grabbing his bag and preparing to go to his next class "This was unorthodox, but thank you for telling me."

"No problem." Kevin said, smiling as they walked out of the room together.

"So what do you think you are going to do?" Kevin asked, quickly glancing over at Jughead.

"I think that is between me and Betty." Jughead responded, hoping this would be enough to deter him.

"Alright. Talk to you tomorrow, Jughead." Kevin said, walking towards the opposite side of the hallway.

"Wait, tomorrow?" Jughead questioned.

_Why would Kevin and I talk tomorrow? It's Saturday, it is my..._

"I meant later." Kevin quickly replied, shouting across the hall. "Talk to you  _later._ "

Jughead stared as Kevin hurriedly walked into the classroom.

_Well that was strange._ Jughead concluded, walking into his own classroom.

_Talking to Kevin is always some form of strange. But maybe this time some good will come out of it._


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x10: Betty and Veronica go party supply shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, peeps. My original plan was to finish the fic before the new season started but that doesn't really seem possible at this point. Dealing with this, plus life things and participating in the Riverdale Fic Exchange, I've been too busy to update. But I am on vacation this week so the hope is to get at least a couple more chapters done before Wednesday, but I make no promises.
> 
> Yay! Season 2 is almost upon us! Hope you guys are as excited as I am!

"Ok, what's left on the list?" Betty said, flipping through the yellow legal pad in her hands.

She and Veronica had decided to hit the mall immediately after school in search of supplies for Jughead's birthday party. With the party being the next day, Betty had so many things to prepare. From the food to the decor, there was so much to get and Betty knew there was no better shopping partner than Veronica.

The two of them had already been at the mall for hours and Betty's list didn't seem to be getting any smaller. For every item Betty grabbed, she thought of two more she should grab.

"I can't imagine there is much more left." Veronica said, carrying three bags full of various cooking supplies. "We've already made two trips back to the car."

"I just need a few more items." Betty concluded, staring frantically at her list trying to remember what she hadn't already gotten.

"B, we've been at this for 3 hours." Veronica informed her, sounding tired as she did. "Maybe we should take a break."

"I'm not tired." Betty told her, though as she said it, Betty could feel a wave of exhaustion overcome her.

Veronica looked at her skeptically, but didn't push the matter further. Rather, she simply sighed and clapped her hands together.

"Well then, let's take a shopping break." Veronica suggested, hopefully. "Instead of another entertainment store or party emporium, let's check out some clothes."

Betty stared at Veronica.

_Of course her mind goes to shopping. Once a socialite..._

"I don't know, V. There is still so much left to do." Betty decided to say instead, glancing once again at her multi page list of supplies.

"Hey. Look at me, girl." Veronica demanded, staring at Betty until she looked up from her list.

Betty complied, annoyed by Veronica's impatience.

"You might be Riverdale's version of Supergirl, but come on, even Supergirl needs a break from saving the world."

Betty smiled at her.

_She's just trying to help. Besides, what harm could looking at some clothes do?_

"Besides, you will need something to wear to this fabulous party you are throwing."

_I hadn't considered that._ Betty's brain immediately switched to worrying. _I've been so busy trying to figure out how many pounds of dip I will need and I didn't think about what to wear to this party._

"Alright, fine." Betty acquiesced. "But no more than thirty minutes, then we have to get back to party planning mode."

Veronica giggled as she dragged Betty into the nearest clothing store.

Betty and Veronica had been to this store a few times before, but it was mostly window shopping. As much as Veronica loved to shop, she had been trying to keep her promise to her mother and scale back on extraneous spending. They had never come to this store looking for something to actually purchase.

"So what are we thinking?" Veronica said, running her fingers against the clothing, a thrill in her eyes "Little black dress?"

Betty quickly shook her head.

_Little black dress isn't exactly my style, V. Your style definitely, but not mine. Besides, it might be a bit much for a house party._

"I just started thinking about this...but I probably shouldn't go too dressy." Betty said, casually looking the outfits next to her.

"There is no such thing as too dressy." Veronica said, grabbing a dress that Betty would never in a million years wear.

"Black isn't really my color." Betty said, "And I don't want Jughead to suspect anything."

"And he won't. Doesn't mean you can't decide to look super cute." Veronica added, grabbing a couple more items from the shelves.

"Super cute will tell him something is up." Betty sighed, staring at a dress that would be way too thin for movie night at the Bijou.

"You give Jughead too much credit." Veronica pointed out, moving to the next aisle of outfits.

Betty's attention snapped angrily to Veronica.

_What does she mean 'I give him too much credit?' What does she have against Jughead anyway?_

Veronica looked as though she were reading Betty mind and immediately recoiled.

"All I meant…" Veronica began, holding up her arms in defeat "was that the typical boyfriend doesn't usually notice things like outfit formality. Why should Jughead be any different?"

Betty wanted to insist that Jughead was different, that he would notice the effort she would put into her appearance, but she honestly wasn't sure. Jughead had never been one to notice how anyone looks and even though they were dating and Betty knew he liked her, it wasn't as though he had ever showered her with compliments about her appearance.

_Why am I so defensive? It is not like Veronica has any reason to think bad things about Jughead. She is just saying what girls have said about boys for years. But I don't want her to judge him. I want her to know that he is more than just all the things we are trained to think about boys. Jughead is different. What we have is different._

Betty smiled as she shook her head. Thinking about Jughead was not going to get them out of this store any faster.

"Either way, casual is probably better." Betty said, deciding returning to the discussion of clothes was for the best. "It will give me more time to work on his birthday cake if I don't have to worry about getting ready."

"I don't understand why you would choose cake over a dress, but very well. Let's go for cute, casual look." Veronica reaffirmed, focusing all of her attention on the clothes.

Betty watched for a few minutes as Veronica combed through the aisles. Betty smiled to herself.

_She looks so at home here. In a store, desperately seeking an iconic fashion statement._

Betty started walking towards Veronica when one of the many bags she was carrying caught on one of the clothing shelves. It was ripped from her hand, hit the floor, spilling its contents all down the aisle.

"Great!" Betty groaned in frustration, turning around to bend to the ground to gather her purchases up.

As she crawled on the department store floor gathering things, she felt a small tap on her shoulder.

Betty looked up to see that Ethel was extending a container of yellow frosting out to her.

"Betty, I think you dropped this." Ethel said, looking as though she hoped she were guessing correctly.

"Thank you, Ethel." Betty said, grabbing the frosting from Ethel and shoving it into one of the other bags she was carrying.

"Oh, Ethel." Betty heard Veronica chime from behind her as she made her way over from the other rack. "How are you?"

"I'm ok." Ethel replied shyly, avoiding looking at either one of them.

Betty became instantly paranoid.

_Is this about earlier? Is she upset with me interfering with her and Chuck in the cafeteria? What did Chuck even tell her?_

"I'm so sorry about the cafeteria today." Betty said, hoping that Ethel wasn't angry with her.

"It's fine, Betty." Ethel said, in a similar way to how she had told Betty she was fine earlier.

_Should I believe her?_ Betty wondered. _Is there more to it than she is letting on?_

"Was Chuck actually apologizing?" Veronica asked, sounding as though she didn't believe it.

_At least Veronica has the courage to ask these questions._

"He was." Ethel said, nodding. She sounded happy about this. "He told me he wanted to make amends to those he hurt."

"Really?" Veronica questioned, her tone implying she didn't believe this in the slightest.

"Chuck said now that he knew what it was like, he was ashamed of what he put others through." Ethel explained.

Betty sided with Veronica. Her insides bubbled with anger.

_Chuck thought that getting kicked off the football team for sexually harassing girls was equivalent to the actual sexual harassment?_

Betty grew angrier. Indignant. She found herself wishing that he were here so she could give him a piece of her mind when it hit her that he wasn't angry about being kicked off the football team. Or least not just about getting kicked off the team.

_That's not what he was equating it to. He isn't saying being kicked off the team is the same as being harassed. Thanks to me, he now has some experience with harassment. I made him vulnerable. I stripped him of the power and I lost control too._

Betty was so deep in thought she hardly noticed that Veronica and Ethel were still talking.

"Please. He thinks he can just apologize and suddenly everything is better? Who the hell does Chuck Clayton…" Veronica began, clearly still enraged by his actions as well.

_I can't keep listening to this._ Betty frantically realized. _I must change the subject._

"Ethel what brings you here?" Betty said, hearing the terror in her voice causing her to pause.

Ethel looked at Betty questioningly.

"Oh, I was on my way out of the record store when I saw you guys duck in here and thought I might say hi."

"That's very sweet, Ethel." Veronica said, sounding chipper. "I am happy you wanted to say hi."

Ethel nodded before bending down to pick up can of green frosting that sat at her feet.

"You guys are sure stocking up on frosting." Ethel joked, extending the can out to Betty

"Yeah...well." Betty said, hesitant to say much else as she grabbed the frosting from her.

"We are throwing a party." Veronica said, hooking her arm into Betty's.

_Veronica!_ Betty shouted in her head.

"For Jughead's birthday?" Ethel asked, sounding as though she were suddenly more interested in the story.

Betty snapped up, annoyed.

_Ethel knows Jughead's birthday._

Betty felt her attitude towards Ethel chill even more.

"Yes." Veronica said hesitantly as she glanced over at Betty briefly. "How did you…?"

"I work in the attendance office and I just remember seeing it in his file." Ethel hurriedly explained.

Veronica paused for a moment, looking over at Betty once again before continuing on.

"You have a fantastic memory." Veronica complimented. "Yes, we are throwing him a party. Would you like to come?"

Betty tried to hold back the glare she was sure was coming out of her eyes, but it was hard to resist when Ethel had such a gleeful look in her eyes.

_Why on earth would Veronica invite Ethel?_

"Really?" Ethel asked, looking extremely happy.

Betty nodded, but kept herself tight lipped.

Veronica glanced at Betty questioningly but continued.

"Of course. It is a quaint gathering, but there will be cake and games."

"I would love to come." Ethel replied, her face broken out into the biggest smile.

"Great. It is at 8 tomorrow at Archie's house." Veronica explained to Ethel. "Do you need directions or…"

"No, I know where it is." Ethel replied simply. "I am so excited. Thank you for the invite. I have to go home and wrap Jughead's gift now."

_She already got him a gift?_ Betty was flabbergasted as she watched Ethel walk away.

"Bye guys!" Ethel said, running towards to doors.

When Ethel was out of sight, Betty groaned in frustration. Veronica gazed at her sympathetically.

"I know we said inner circle only, but what is one more person?"

"One person is all it takes to make one party disastrous." Betty replied, the bitterness not leaving her voice as she returned to looking at the rack.

"Are you upset that I invited Ethel?" Veronica asked, sounding concerned now.

_Yes!_ Betty screamed internally.

"No, of course not." Betty said, trying to put some distance between herself and Veronica. "I still have some things I need to get at the party supply store, so maybe we should just head out."

Betty started walking towards the door, avoiding looking at Veronica as she did.

"Hey, B?" Veronica said, tugging on Betty's shoulder, stopping Betty in her tracks. "What's going on?"

"Nothing" Betty replied, though felt her herself recoil as she internally protested.

Betty knew it shouldn't bother her, but she just knew in the pit of stomach that Ethel shouldn't come to this party.

"Is this about Chuck? Cause if you want to talk about it…"

"It's not about Chuck, V!" Betty shouted, then immediately regretted.

_This isn't supposed to be about Chuck. This is supposed to be about Jughead. About making Jughead feel cared for. About giving him the best birthday party possible. And how can it be the best if Ethel is there reminding me of everything that I've done wrong in the past few weeks? She was wronged by Chuck, but rather than going dark on him, she stood off to the side and in the end, she came out the hero of the story. The hero that even he is willing to acknowledge he wronged. She did everything right with Chuck._

_And now, she even knows more about my boyfriend than I do._

She gripped the bags in her arms out of frustration. "It is just, Ethel…"

"I thought you liked Ethel." Veronica said, her voice sounding more reserved than usual.

_I used to._ Betty thought bitterly, then sighed. _That's not fair. She didn't do anything wrong. It is me, it is all me._

"She is fine." Betty replied slowly, trying to gather her thoughts. "It's just…"

Veronica merely stared at Betty, but it was as though she could hear Veronica's thoughts.

_She not going to let me leave until she gets an explanation. Might as well give her a partial truth._

"She knew Jughead's birthday already." Betty said, sitting down on a nearby bench, embracing a partial defeat.

Veronica sat next to her looking confused.

"So…?"

"She knew his birthday when I, his girlfriend and supposed best friend of many years did not."

Veronica nodded with this newfound knowledge.

"Having access to public records makes it easier to keep track of these things." Veronica tried to reassure her.

"She was lying, V." Betty informed her.

"How do you know?"

Betty took a deep breath, preparing to reveal her observations over the past few minutes.

"She could look at either of us as she said it, she started curling on the ends of her cardigan." Betty explained, the ticks of lying obvious to her after years of living with reporters for parents. "Besides, I worked in the attendance office last year and you do not have access to birthday info. Not easily, anyhow."

Veronica nodded, but still seemed confused.

"Archie and I used to tease Jughead when we were kids that Ethel had a crush on him." Betty told her, thinking back to their youth. "He was always so insistent that it wasn't true, despite how much attention she gave him."

As Betty explained it, she realized that this was bothering her more than she realized. Even with everything going on with Chuck and the party planning, Betty found herself irritated by the fact that Ethel was clearly crushing on Jughead.

"Wait, so you think Ethel likes Jughead?" Veronica asked, disbelieving.

Betty nodded, relieved that Veronica seemed distracted by this information. Even she was distracted by it now.

"Are you jealous of Ethel?" Veronica asked, placing a hand on top of Betty's. "Because as wonderful as she is, I don't think she or any other girl is even on Jughead's radar."

Betty thought about this. As much as she would like to believe that, she wasn't certain it was true. She hadn't known Jughead's birthday until today...maybe there were a lot of other things she didn't know about him as well.

"I'm not jealous, exactly. It's just…how could I have been friends with him for all these years and just not seen him?" Betty wondered, feeling thoroughly distracted by her own diversion. "I was so wrapped up in other things, I didn't even think about the fact that one of my best friends never celebrates his birthday. And even now that we're together, it still hadn't crossed my mind."

Betty sighed, her head dropping down.

"Jughead deserves better than me."

Veronica looked instantly angry.

"For a start, there is no one better than you Betty Cooper." Veronica proclaimed, a fire in her eyes rivaling any that Betty had seen of her friend thus far "Second, Jughead didn't share his birthday because that is just not who he is. He hates drawing attention to himself so of course he wouldn't mention his birthday."

_Veronica makes an excellent point. Jughead has never been one to ask for notice._

"Third, if you really want me to, I will chase Ethel down and un-invite her. Tell her the party was cancelled or something"

"You would do that for me, V?" Betty asked, feeling a wave of affection for her best girl friend.

"Absolutely." Veronica stated. Standing up and smoothing out her skirt. "This might be Jughead's party, but as the hostess, it is your right to decide who can and can't be there."

Betty smiled. As much as she wanted to tell Veronica 'Yes, I want you to chase down Ethel and un-invite her to my boyfriend's birthday party', Betty knew she couldn't do that. Ethel was a nice girl, a good person. Whether or not she had feelings for Jughead shouldn't affect Betty's ability to sit with her and celebrate the birth of one of the best people she knows. And as for Chuck, Betty realized she needed to work on letting this go. If he was going to be going to school with them, she would have to deal with the reminders. So long as they stayed at a distance, Betty could handle it.

"That's ok. I can handle having her there." Betty told Veronica with confidence.

"You're sure?" Veronica asked.

Betty nodded in reply.

"Whatever you want B. I got your back" Veronica reassured her.

"Thanks V. I really…" Betty started but then saw a reflection of something in the mirror. A shirt had caught her eye. Betty quickly whipped around and there she saw it. Veronica turned around too and immediately noticed what Betty was staring at. The two girls got up and ran over to the rack.

On it was a gray sweater. A gray sweater with a yellow crown on it.

"B?" Veronica started, quickly glancing at the tag. "It's your size."

"This is it." Betty said, grabbing the sweater and laying against her. She glanced over at the mirror and she could see herself wearing this sweater to the movies with Jughead before the party. It would be subtle enough that he might not notice it, but if he did, he probably wouldn't think much of it.

Betty quickly rushed into the fitting room and immediately tried it on. It fit incredibly well. She ran out to show Veronica.

"Oh my God, it is amazing. The perfect shirt for Jughead's girlfriend."

Betty cringed internally at the word perfect, but she instantly felt her mood brighten. This shirt made her feel as though the universe were telling her to focus on Jughead and she was more than happy to take the universe's advice.


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x10: Jughead wakes up on the morning of his birthday

The light filtering into Archie’s bedroom window woke Jughead from a dead sleep. The day he had been dreading for the past couple weeks had finally reared its ugly head. It was his birthday.

Jughead knew there was no reason to dread his birthday this year. He wasn't even living with his family at this point. There was no possible way that they could make things worse. And even though both Archie and Betty knew about it, neither of them had gone out of their way to acknowledge it, a fact Jughead greatly appreciated.

He wiped the sleep out of his eyes, reassuring himself that there was nothing to be concerned about.

_ No one will ruin this day. It will be just like every other day. _

Jughead took a deep breath as he reached up to the nightstand and grabbed his cell phone and his beanie. 

He pulled the hat on, making sure that it was placed just right on his head as he checked his phone. 

_ 11:30? Archie must have let me sleep in _ . 

This was one of the few birthday perks Jughead actually didn't mind. Archie didn't quite understand Jughead’s nighthawk tendencies, but he always made an effort to respect them, at least on Jughead’s birthday.

Now that he was more awake, he noticed the light on his phone was blinking.Unlike most mornings, Jughead’s phone had notifications saying he had two missed calls and three text messages. He immediately went to his call log, seeing that one of the phone calls was from Archie’s dad and the other was from Betty.

Seeing just those two numbers in his phone left an empty feeling in Jughead’s stomach. 

_ It’s still early.  _ Jughead told himself, trying to quell the emptines.  _ My mom might still have plans to call. And even if she doesn't have plans or just forgot, it is not like it should matter. I don’t even care about this day. _

Jughead closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as far hoping this would be enough to make this dreaded feeling go away. When he reopened them, he decided that the best way to not think about his mom was to think about something else.

So he opened his text messages and saw one from his cousin, who only remembered Jughead’s birthday because it was his birthday as well. Jughead shook his head and sent a quick thank you reply to him.

Another message was from Betty with a cake emoji. Jughead smiled, despite his hatred for this wretched day. Just the mere idea that Betty was thinking about him made the day feel lighter, more managable. He had been so annoyed at Archie for telling her about his birthday, but now that she knew, he was OK with it. 

_ Betty knows me. She might not know the full extent of my hatred, but other than partaking in my tradition, she won’t do anything to make this day any worse than it has to be. _

Jughead gave a huge sigh of relief as he sent her a thank you reply.

The third message was from Archie and it was a stack of pancakes emoji.

_ Wait? Did Archie make breakfast? _

With this thought, Jughead rolled himself off the air mattress and decided to glance down the stairs. 

Sure enough, Archie was in the kitchen, dancing around as he seemed to be preparing breakfast. 

Jughead shook his head in amusement at his best friend’s uncensored dancing and decided to give Archie more time to get breakfast ready. He walked back upstairs to prepare for the day. 

***

About 30 mins later, Jughead walked back downstairs to see Archie pouring orange juice into some glasses. 

“Good morning, Archie.” Jughead said, looking at the kitchen island in front of him. 

“Morning Jug.” Archie said as he put juice back in the fridge. “Happy…”

“Nope.” Jughead cut him off before he could continue.

Archie looked a little confused by Jughead’s response.

“I figured since people knew now, it was ok to…” Archie began, but stopped at the look of disdain.

“Still no.” Jughead said, sitting down on a stool and grabbing the nearest plate.

“Alright then.” Archie said, pushing the food closer to Jughead “I made breakfast.”

“I see that.” Jughead said, looking at the waffles and sausage in front of him. “What inspired you to embrace your culinary side.”

Archie merely looked up at him and Jughead got it. 

_ Because it is my birthday.  _ Jughead groaned internally. 

It was as if Archie could read his mind because he instantly recoiled.

“It wasn’t a big deal, bro.” Archie explained, grabbing some food for himself “Frozen waffles and microwave sausage. It’s not like I slaved for hours or anything.”

“Good.” Jughead said, grabbing a waffle, then taking a bite out of it.

“I mean, if it really makes you feel bad, you can always do the clean up after.” Archie told him as he prepared to take a drink of juice.

“Let’s not get carried away.” Jughead told him, a smile on his face as he grabbed for the copy of the Riverdale Register that was sitting on the island.

Archie looked relieved as he sat down and started eating as well. 

“So, what are your plans for the day?” Archie asked, mouth full of waffle. 

“Well,” Jughead began, taking a drink of juice to wash down some sausage. “I was gonna call Betty to see if she wanted to hang out before the movie tonight.”

“Oh.” Archie said, looking panicked.

“What?” Jughead questioned, immediately growing concerned. His conversation with Kevin still ringing in his brain. “”Is she ok?”

“What?” Archie asked, looking as though he were aiming for something more casual, but Jughead could see that he was hiding something.

“You looked kind of freaked out when I mentioned Betty. Did something happen that I don’t know?”

_ Why wouldn't she tell me if something happened?  _ Jughead questioned.  _ After all that we’ve been through... _

“She is fine, but I think she said she would be helping her mom all day with the church bake sale.” Archie explained. 

“Church bake sale?” Jughead asked, knowing Betty hadn’t mentioned this to him. “Why didn't she mention it before?” 

“Her mom kinda roped her into it last minute. Betty's kinda in damage control mode right now.”

_ That can't be great. This on top of whatever was happening with Chuck...Betty's gonna need this break more than I do. _

“I should go over there and help her out.” Jughead suggested, thinking that he would once he finished his food.

“No. No!” Archie said, jumping off his stool as if he were planning to hold Jughead back.

_ That's a bit of a visceral reaction to the idea of me consoling my girlfriend.  _ Jughead concluded.

“What’s going on, Arch?” Jughead asked, suspicions high. 

“Nothing.” Archie responded. 

Jughead merely stared at Archie for a moment. 

_ Why do people think they can lie to me? Archie, my dad...don't they know how transparent they are? Why even try? _

“Look dude, if something is going on and you are trying to hide it from me out of respect for an arbitrary day I don't even care about...”

Jughead groaned in frustration. 

_ Why did people always do this? I am aware more than most just how jaded and screwed up the world can be. I know that doesn't stop for a day and I don't want the people I love acting like it does. _

“If there is something, just tell me.” Jughead heard himself plead.

“It’s nothing like that at all, Jug.” Archie explained.

It took Jughead a moment to see that Archie was telling the truth.

_ Whatever it is, at least he is not covering up impending doom. _

“I just figured since we weren’t going to the movies tonight, maybe we could hang out today. Play some Destiny, I could show you some of my new songs.”

“Oh.” Jughead replied, not sure what to think about this. “It was kinda our thing, wasn't it?”

Archie shrugged as he took another bite of his breakfast.

“You know, you could always come with us to the movies…” Jughead suggested, though knowing that neither of them wanted that. 

Archie shook his head almost immediately.

“Nah, that is ok. It would be awkward.” 

As much as Jughead would like to deny it, it would be very awkward. Even though it was Jughead’s birthday tradition and it would be him, his girlfriend and his best friend, Jughead knew he would be the one that ended up feeling like the third wheel. That was how it had always felt when the three of them were together. Archie and Betty with Jughead tagging along like he doesn't have a clue. And while Jughead didn't have much respect for this day, he had respect enough to not insist on Archie's presence on his birthday date with his girlfriend.

“Ok. Let’s hang out then.” Jughead said, grabbing another waffle. “So video games and music?”

Archie shrugged. 

“It’s up to you, Jug. It's your call.”

Jughead internally groaned this time. 

“Arch, you gotta stop trying to make this a thing.” Jughead said, his voice barely concealing the annoyance he felt. “What would you do today if you weren't trying to make this about me?”

“Well..” Archie started, but looked hesitant about his reply. “I need some new guitar strings.”

“What a boring errand.” Jughead replied. “Sounds great. I'll grab my coat.”

Jughead hopped down from his stool, shoving another waffle in his mouth as he did so.

“Are you sure, dude?” Archie questioned, looking as though he seriously doubted Jughead's sincerity.

“Absolutely.” Jughead reassured him, as he put on his coat. 

“Great.” Archie replied, going into the living room to grab his own coat.

As Jughead stood there waiting for Archie, he saw a flash of blonde whirl past one of the Coopers windows. It didn't take much contemplation for Jughead to see that Betty would be the one running herself ragged trying to pull things together for her mom’s event. 

“But before we do, I want stop by and talk to Betty.” Jughead told Archie, heading back towards the kitchen. “I’m sure she could use a break from baking with her mom.”

Archie looked immediately panicked, haphazardly throwing his jacket on and rushing in front of Jughead. 

“Wait, Juggie. I am not sure she will want us coming around.”

Jughead stared at Archie questioningly.

_ Why is he so desperate to keep me away from Betty?  _ Jughead internally questioned. But before he could think too much about what the reason could be, obsessively grow more paranoid about it, he put a stop to it.

“Why not?” Jughead asked. 

“Um….” Archie said, looking confused. “It's just that I talked to her earlier and she seemed stressed. Might be better to just leave her to bake.”

_ Telling the truth again.  _ Jughead noted.  _ Or at least, the truth as he sees it. _

“So you’re telling me my girlfriend is stressed so I should stay away?” Jughead questioned, not bothering to hide the skepticism in his voice. “No offense, but maybe you ought to rethink how you treat the girls in your life.”

Jughead walked out the Andrews’ back door so he could knock on the back door of the Cooper’s house. Archie followed behind him, yelling his name as he did.

Jughead reached the door and was immediately floored by the fantastic smell of Betty’s famous cupcakes. He knocked, now more eager than ever to see Betty and perhaps snag a cupcake on his way out. 

When Betty showed up at the door, she looked more frantic than Jughead had ever seen her. 

“Juggie, hi.” Betty said, barely cracking the door open and coming outside to meet up with them. “What...what are you doing here?”

_ That was less than cordial.  _ Jughead thought, but knew that extensive periods of time dealing with her mother could do that to her. 

_ Maybe she needs more of a break than I thought... _

“I just thought I would stop by,” Jughead explained, placing a comforting hand on her arm “just see if you wanted to go to the record store with us.”

Jughead caught Betty glance back at Archie, as though she were trying to ask him something without saying anything aloud. 

“That’s really nice Jug, but I can’t. I am so busy.” Betty explained, tightening her ponytail as she did so.

“Come on.” Jughead prodded “Take a break with us.”

Jughead could see the look of conflict in Betty’s eyes.

_ I know that look. That is her weighing options look. But when one of the options is spending time with Alice Cooper, are there really options to weigh? _

“I would love to but I can’t.” Betty explained, seeming disappointed by her own response. “My mom is having me go over internship applicants for the Register.”

Jughead’s attention was redirected. Applicants for the Register?

“I thought you were working on a bake sale.” Jughead asked, knowing it must be at least a little true because he could smell things baking.

“Oh right, the bake sale.” Betty said, sounding as though this were news to her. “Right, of course. That is after I am done looking at the applicants for the internship.”

Jughead found himself incredibly suspicious. 

“Betts, what’s up?” Jughead asked.

_ What could you possibly be hiding from me? We have been so honest with each other, what is there to hide? _

Jughead felt as though his head were spinning.

_ Why are they lying? What horrible thing are they trying to shield me from? They are trying to protect me and it is just making things worse. Lying to me always makes things worse. Why don't people get that by now? _

“Ok, you caught me.” Betty said, sounding as though she were relieved to be confessing “I just didn’t want you to know I was baking because I didn’t want you to eat any of it.”

Jughead couldn’t help but notice the way Archie vehemently nodded next to him.

Despite this, Jughead felt his anxiety subside. Betty wasn't lying. Archie wasn't lying. Jughead knew he needed to stop worrying about this.

“Ok…” Jughead decided to accept what she said. “I guess I will see you tonight then.”

“Alright.” she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Jughead on the cheek. “I will see you later for the movies.”

She squeezed back into her house and Jughead stood there baffled.

“What was that?” he asked no one in particular.

“Come on, bro.” Archie gestured as he finished tugging on his jacket. “The record store closes in a couple hours.”

Jughead walked away from Betty's door skeptically. Though not nearly as anxious about it as before, Jughead knew something was up and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't just let it go.

The two of them walked to the record store without saying much. Jughead was too busy worrying about Betty. 

_ She just looked so frantic, so unsettled. It can’t just be about helping her mom. Maybe Kevin was right. The whole Chuck thing is weighing on her. As much as I hate interfering, if it is affecting her this much, I might have to listen to Kevin and talk to her about it.  _

As they walked into the record store, Archie glanced over at Jughead and cleared his throat. 

“Are you ok, Jug?” Archie asked, his eyes not leaving Jughead as he did.

“Yeah.” Jughead told him. “It’s just Betty. She seemed really frazzled. Like she was upset about something.”

“She’s got a lot going on, man.” Archie explained, walking away from Jughead, past the display of records at the front of the store and over to the guitar supplies. “She has the bake sale, the applicants, running the Blue and Gold. Not to mention, the homecoming dance is coming up soon…”

“But is she upset about that or about Chuck?” Jughead questioned, knowing that none of the things Archie just listed could be affecting her this much. 

Archie paused and turned around to face him.

“You know about Chuck?” Archie asked, looking incredibly worried.

_ Does Archie know? _

“Only that there was a confrontation in the cafeteria.” Jughead explained, then deciding to question his friend. “Do you know about what happened with Chuck?” 

Archie looked guilty. 

_ Practically a confession.  _ Jughead thought bitterly.  _ How does Archie know what is happening when I don't ? _

“What are you not telling me?” Jughead asked. 

“I don’t know what happened exactly.” Archie admitted. “I just saw their confrontation in the cafeteria and knowing Betty, there is probably a lot more to it than that.”

_ The truth.  _ Jughead thought and hated himself as a sense of relief that Archie was as in the dark as he was washed over him

“She hasn’t said anything though.” Jughead said, looking at the drumsticks on a nearby shelf.

“That’s kinda who Betty is though. She bottles the bad things up.” Archie explained as he grabbed the right set of strings. “She wants to be there for everyone else, but Betty always feels like she has to handle things on her own. Usually by not handling them.”

Jughead stood there for a moment. Archie was right. Until he spent more time with her, Jughead had always assumed that Betty was just perfect at everything she did. She could continuously take on more and more responsibilities, and never be phased by it. But seeing the way she handled Polly and the destruction of her family, he knew Betty must be pushing her feelings down. 

The sense of relief he had moments ago had passed. As evolved as he tried to be, Jughead couldn't help hating that Archie just automatically knew this about Betty when he, her boyfriend, didn’t.

“Everything ok, Jug?” Archie asked, moving to stand next to him. 

“It’s fine.” Jughead told him, his voice cold and emotionless as he started walking over to the records.

“It doesn’t seem that way.” Archie said, joining Jughead, not understanding that Jughead wanted space. 

Before Jughead could respond, the owner of the record shop and Riverdale Elementary School’s retired music teacher approached them. 

“Hello Archibald. Forsythe.” Mrs. Joseph nodded to them. 

“Hello Mrs. Joseph.” Jughead and Archie replied in unison.

Mrs. Joseph was a little old music teacher who bragged about teaching almost all of Riverdale's residents as children. Jughead remembered the stories she used to tell about his grandfather Forsythe from when he was in her class.

“Did you find the guitar strings you needed?” she asked, looking at the package Archie was holding. 

“Yes. They were pretty easy to find.” Archie explained, knowing that she wouldn't be able to read the label anyway.

“That is nice.” Mrs. Joseph replied, not seeming to care that much about the guitar strings. “How is Elizabeth Cooper doing?”

Jughead smiled. Betty was the kind of person everyone loved. Of course the elderly teacher would have fond memories of her.  

“Well. She is doing great.” Archie replied when Jughead was too consumed in thoughts to do so.

“I hear talk that she has a boyfriend now.” Mrs. Joseph began, clearly getting to the real reason she had approached them. “I’m so glad the two of you finally got together. She has been in love with you for at least ten years.”

Jughead felt as though his stomach had jumped into his throat. It's not that he had never had those thoughts before, or even had those thoughts about since he and Betty got together, but when outsiders confirm your worst thoughts, it is hard to let those unsettling emotions lie. 

“Umm… actually Mrs. Joseph, Jughead is Betty’s boyfriend.” Archie replied, turning red from embarrassment.

Mrs. Joseph switched her gaze from Archie over to Jughead. She gave Jughead a quick look up and down.

“Oh.” She replied, sounding incredibly disappointed. “Well that’s nice too I guess. I guess you kids are pretty opposite. Maybe she can have a good affect on you.”

_ Ouch. Glad to have made such a good impression on you. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what you’re thinking. _

_ “ _ Why don't we just check out?” Archie suggested to Mrs. Joseph and the two of them moved to the cash register. 

_ Mrs. Joseph doesn't think I am good enough for Betty. She thinks Betty is wasting her time with me or worse, that she is trying to save me. Is that what everyone thinks? _

Normally, Jughead wouldn't let what people think of him bother him, but today it mattered. It was a day that always taunted him with the worst thoughts of himself. And the fact that someone else might share those thoughts too bothered him. helping me just by being with me. 

Maybe she's right. Maybe she is. But who is the hell is this woman to determine if that is the truth. 

She's the eyes of Riverdale. Jughead couldn't stop himself from thinking. She sees me the way everyone else does. The creepy outsider whose family is so messed up that they can't even pull it together for a simpo birthday greeting. 

Maybe Mrs. Joseph sees Betty and I the way everyone else does. As a mismatched pair who don't belong together. 

And maybe she's right. 

After a few minutes of Jughead tormenting himself with these thoughts, Archie was finished checking out and the two of them left the store. 

They walked for a few minutes in silence, Jughead working on forgetting what he knew he couldn't.

“Mrs. Joseph has always been a bit senile.” Archie justified, clearly realizing how incredibly conflicted Jughead was feeling. 

“Yeah.” Jughead said, though he didn’t feel that way at all.

He glanced at his phone for what felt like the 100th time today.

“Who are you waiting to hear from?” Archie asked, apparently noticing all the times Jughead had checked his phone today.

“Nothing.” Jughead quickly said, stashing his phone back in his pocket. “No one.” 

“Come on, Jug. I know when you’re lying.”

_ And yet you think you can fool me with your lies.  _ Jughead thought, sighing. Jughead didn't need to look at Archie to know that he would be staring him down until Jughead gave him an answer. 

“My mom.” Jughead admitted, his insides turning as he did. “It’s not a big deal, I just thought…”

_ That my mother would notice it’s her son’s birthday and at least send him a half hearted text message that I could pretend to hate. Maybe that's too much to ask.  _

“Hey, the day is still young.” Archie reassured him.

“I guess so.” Jughead replied, though not believing it. 

“And maybe she is waiting so she can call.” Archie continued. 

“Perhaps. Or maybe she just forgot.” 

Archie looked over at him sympathetically. 

“It doesn’t matter anyway. Let’s get home and play some Call of Duty.”

Archie nodded as they continued in down the street. Both of them consumed with thoughts of their encounter. Jughead tried to put it all out of his head. The doubts, the insecurities, the nagging thoughts of all that he didn't have. 

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to get so much worse. 


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x10: Jughead and Betty post fight, pre make up scene

“Also, man up. After what I just saw in there, she needs you.” FP had just said moments ago. 

Jughead felt as though there were a thousand voices in his head right now. The voices of all the doubts he had about his relationship with Betty, Chuck’s confession, his cruel and harsh words to the girl he cared most about in the world. All those voices were screaming at him, but his father’s words seem to be ringing out above all the rest. 

_ She needs me.  _

Jughead had always tried to be there for Betty, no matter what. Long before he had ever thought of the possibility of the two of them together, he had always been her friend, the person she could depend on when she needed someone the most. And he wanted it, he wanted to be the one that she needed. Now that it was true, it made it impossible to walk away from a situation Jughead felt like he should abandon. 

He walked back into the disheveled Andrews house. Archie was still pushing people out the door, not even noticing that Jughead had re-entered. 

_ Where is she?  _ Jughead wondered as he glanced around.  _ Did she leave? Should I go over to her house? Will she even talk at me after everything? _

Betty was in the kitchen, throwing everything she saw into a trash bag, desperate to keep the tears away. Chuck had humiliated her in front of the entire high school. Her darkest secret was no longer a secret. Everyone had heard, including Jughead. As if things weren’t already bad enough between them, now he knew for sure that she wasn’t the perfect girl next door that he thought she was. 

_ How could this have happened? All I wanted to do was throw my boyfriend a birthday party? I thought the biggest problem I would face is that the cake would end up looking ridiculous. How was I to know that everything else in my life was going to fall apart today? _

Jughead walked into the kitchen and saw Betty, her eyes downcast as she gathered trash. 

He felt his throat constrict. 

_ How can I make things right after everything that has happened tonight? _

The impulse to run was creeping up again. 

_ I can't leave. Not until I make things right. _

“Betty?” Jughead asked, his voice thick with unexpressed anguish.

Betty refused to look up, afraid of what she might see when she did. 

“Did you forget something?” she asked, trying to sound as cold and indifferent as possible.

The way she had asked the question struck a nerve with the both of them. But Jughead knew his father was right, he had to try to make this better. 

“Yeah. You.” Jughead told her, hoping this didn’t come across as cheesy. 

Betty looked up to see her boyfriend standing in front of her, looking ashamed as a cut beneath his eye continued to bleed.

“Oh my God, Juggie.” she said, moving towards him without thinking. Her hands were on his face, examining the cut before she considered her behavior. 

“Oh.” she said, taking a step away from him. 

_ Ouch.  _ Jughead thought.  _ Betty recoiling from me is worse than taking a punch from the muscled miscreant.  _

Betty quickly walked over to the kitchen sink, grabbing a paper towel to wet it. Betty didn't want her first instinct to be to take care of him right now. Betty didn't really anything right now other than to forget tonight ever happened. But she couldn't stop herself. Caring about people had always been second nature to her. Caring about Jughead seemed inevitable, no matter how hurt and vulnerable she was feeling.

She walked back over to Jughead to hand him the towel. 

He didn’t take it from her. Jughead didn’t want to think about himself right now, he just wanted to fix things between them. 

Betty moved in closer and wiped the blood from around the cut. He barely winced, he looked too downtrodden for that. 

“Betty can be please talk?” Jughead asked as he grabbed the hand that was wiping the blood from his face. 

Betty looked away from him.

_ Could talking fix this?  _ Betty wondered.  _ This horrible void between us. Could talking change the way he is looking at me right now? _

Betty looked away, unable to continue seeing that look on his face. 

“I don’t know.” she replied, grabbing another piece of trash to throw away “Is there anything else to say?”

Jughead felt his heart rip.  _ Is that how she really feels or is she just pushing me away? _

_ Whichever it is, it is not how I feel. _

“Of course there is.” he replied, not sure what else to say.

“Like what?” Betty asked, trying to muster up anger but only coming up defeated. “What can be said that wasn’t said in the garage or by Chuck?”

Jughead moved to stand in front of her. 

“Betty.” Jughead started, frustrated with himself with not having the right words to say “You have to know...it doesn’t matter to me what he said.”

Betty stopped trying to clean to look at him. How desperately she wanted to believe him. How much she wished just hearing him say the words were enough.

“I don’t believe you.” Betty told him honestly. “How can it not matter? After everything you said…”

Betty had to stop speaking. She didn't want to cry, she didn't want to be defeated. She wanted to be strong. “Chuck’s confession on top of it should make things easier for you.”

Jughead shook his head, trying to not let the tears that were threatening to escape his own eyes come down. 

“Nothing about this is easy.” Jughead admitted. “But I want to try to make this work.”

Betty wanted to believe him, she wanted him to wrap his arms around her and forget tonight ever happened, but she couldn't. Not yet. 

“How?” Betty asked, almost pleading for an explanation from him “How can this work after everything?”

Jughead shook his head. He honestly had no idea where to go from here. But they had to try. 

“Can we talk?” he asked, hoping the right words would soon find their way to him “Preferably not here at the scene of the crime?”

Betty nodded and she followed him out the door of the house. 

The walked down the street in silence, neither of them having to say aloud that they were on their way to Pop’s.

Both of them were scrambling in their minds for the magic words that made the events of the night less horrible.

_Maybe magic isn't what we need._ Betty determined. _We've been in denial about so many things for so long. We've been seeking out answers to so many questions_ _in the lives and deaths of people around us, but we haven't faced ourselves. Maybe it is time we do that_.

“Did you mean it?” Betty asked, breaking the silence.

“Mean what?’ Jughead asked hurriedly, trying not to let the relief of her just talking to him take over. 

“What you said, in the garage?” Betty asked.  

“Parts of it.” Jughead admitted, embarrassed of his words to her. Whether or not some of them had been true, he shouldn't have used every negative thought in his mind against her. 

“You think I see you as one of my projects?” Betty asked. She couldn't help but feel insulted by this. That he would think so little of her that he would honestly believe himself just a good deed to cross off a list.

“Yes and no.” Jughead conceded. “I don’t think you see me as a project, but maybe part of what appeals to you is how hopeless I am.”

Betty looked at him with surprise.

_ I am not sure that is any better.  _ She thought.

“I would never think of you as hopeless.” she tried to reassure him, but she had doubts that this would do much good. If this is how he saw himself, who was she to tell him any different? 

Jughead nodded, not knowing or caring if this was true. 

“That we’re on borrowed time?” Betty asked, wrapping her arms closer around her. She didn’t know if this was due to the cold or to the general vulnerability she was feeling right now.

“Not the phrase I would normally use, but yes.” Jughead told her. “I keep waiting for the day to come along that what we have isn’t enough for you anymore.”

“When have I ever said or done anything to imply that?” Betty asked, not sure if she should be angry or upset by this. 

“You haven’t.”

_ Angry.  _ Betty determined.  _ Definitely angry. _

“Then why would you think it?” she asked him, some of the bitterness in her thoughts seeping through to her words.

Jughead sighed, hating that he had to admit the next thing. As much as he tried to pretend he wasn't aware of some of the things in the world, he was painfully aware of them.

“Because why would you ever consider being long term with someone like me? The world is out there opening doors for you while doors keep shutting in my face because of things I can’t control like which side of town I was born on.” Jughead groaned in frustration. “Sometimes I look at you and all I can see is how different we are. I don’t think you are perfect, Betty. But comparing us, next to me you definitely are.” 

“That’s not true.” she said, her voice sounding smaller than she had intended. “You’re not perfect. But no one is.”

_ Archie is.  _ Jughead thought, though he instantly regretted it. 

They were fast approaching Pop’s diner. Jughead wasn't quite sure he was ready to be there yet. It as easier in the dark. To say these things when you could concentrate on looking forward and just responding. The lights of Pop's would just illuminate all the vulnerabilities Jughead was already feeling.

“That Kevin and Veronica are people you would shun?” Betty asked, although she wasn't sure she needed an answer to this one. Jughead had always been a bit of a recluse. She almost hadn't asked, but she wasn't ready for her turn, so she continued to come up with questions.  

“I would have a couple months ago.” Jughead agreed with his former self. “But now I know things have changed. I have changed.”

It was not something Jughead had been very aware of, but now that he was here talking to Betty about things he said in a heated moment, he knew he was different than he used to be. Before, he would have left Archie's house without question the second the surprise party had been sprung on him. But he stayed and he might have been OK if things had gone the way Betty had been planning. A few games, maybe a couple movies with a small group of people wouldn't have been so bad. But the chaos that had followed had tipped him over the edge and now he found himself walking down a street spilling his guts to his girlfriend.

“Kevin has been a good friend.” Jughead continued “Well as good of a friend as I have let him be.”

The reached Pop’s, the neon lights burning bright across the parking lot. 

“And Veronica?” Betty asked, feeling as though she knew the answer to this too.

“I don’t know her yet.” Jughead told her. “But, I know she means a lot to you. And to Archie.” 

Betty winced at his mentioning of Archie. Of all the topics to discuss tonight, she wasn't prepared for Archie. Since she and Jughead had started dating, she hadn't given Archie much thought at all. But part of her was afraid that those old feelings weren't completely gone. She had loved Archie for as long as she could remember. Was that all just gone now? Was she prepared for the answer to that?

Jughead took a deep breath as he reached for the door to open it for her. 

They walked inside, the heated restaurant making Betty painfully aware that she had left the house without a jacket. She quickly rubbed her arms against herself as Jughead slid into his favorite booth.

Betty stood there for a moment trying to decide. Somehow she felt that sitting across from him right now was not the right move. So she sat next to him, hoping that he wouldn't mind.

_ She's sitting next to me.  _ Jughead thought relieved.  _ Maybe there's hope for us yet. _

They had been seated no more than a second when the waitress arrived.

“What will be kids?” the waitress walked over to ask.

“Two milkshakes.” Betty said, knowing neither of them would be in the mood actual food.“One vanilla, and…”

She paused. She wasn't sure what he would want.

“Another Vanilla.” Jughead answered, smiling briefly at her. 

“Two vanilla shakes coming right up.” the waitress said, leaving them alone. 

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, staring at the table in front of them. 

_ How do I start the next part of the conversation?  _ Jughead wondered, knowing that he had let Betty do most of the talking so far. It was time that he asked questions of his own.

“I just realized I haven’t.” Betty responded, voicing her thoughts aloud. 

“You haven’t…?” Jughead questioned, too distracted by his own thoughts to think of what she might have been thinking about. 

“Seen you without your hat on. Ever.” Betty replied.

Betty had been sitting there just trying to picture Jughead without his hat and she couldn't. The two images were married in her mind. Jughead and his beanie were inseparable. 

“We’ve known each other practically our whole lives. How can that be true?” she asked, not sure if she was asking him or herself. 

“It’s not something a lot of people have seen.” Jughead admitted, almost smiling at this fact. “I don’t even think I have taken my hat off in front of my dad in years.”

“Why?” Betty asked. 

“I don’t know. I guess I feel the most like myself with it on.” Jughead admitted. 

_ Less vulnerable.  _ He added to himself. 

“It’s stupid.” Jughead said, looking out the window.

“It’s not.” Betty told him, looking at him lovingly. “I don’t think your hat is stupid. I always kind of loved it. It made it easier to spot you in a crowd.”

Jughead let out a brief chuckle. 

“Every loner outsider’s dream.” Jughead said

“It’s a part of you, Juggie.” Betty told him. “Your hat is just a piece of the entirety of what makes you so special.”

Jughead felt her heart jump out of his chest at this. 

_ Special. Betty still thinks I am special.  _

Jughead looked over at Betty. Her eyes were so filled with despair. The night had been emotionally damaging for the both of them. He put his arm around the chair, debating whether or not he should take the risk and try to hold her. Maybe it was too much with what they had been through tonight. Chuck had gone out of his way to humiliate her and now with her secrets out in the open, she was feeling incredibly vulnerable. 

_ Maybe I should level the playing field.  _ Jughead thought.

He took off his hat and looked over at her. 

_ Wow, that looks weird.  _ Betty thought.  _ A good kind of weird, definitely. Nice to know there is a good head of hair under the cap. But he looks surprisingly unJughead-like without it.  _

“I’m so sorry.” Betty said, feeling guilty. “I shouldn’t have thrown you the party. If I had thought about you at all, I would have known you wouldn’t have wanted it. Then Cheryl wouldn’t have turned it into a kegger and Chuck wouldn’t have...”

Betty paused as the waitress approached. 

“Here’s your shakes, kids.” the waitress told them, placing their two milkshakes in front of them. 

“Thanks, Norma.” Jughead said, grabbing his milkshake and taking a sip. 

_ Birthday cake flavored?  _ Jughead thought.  _ I guess I wasn’t as good at hiding my birthday as I thought.  _

“Juggie, your cut is bleeding again.” Betty told him, reaching for a napkin on the table. 

“It’s ok, Betty. Cuts bleed.” Jughead told her, trying to sound more factual but he worried that it might have sounded more machismo than he intended.

Can’t I just,” she gestured with her napkin to his face. 

Jughead looked away as she began to wipe the blood from his face. As much as he didn’t like to admit it, he kinda enjoyed Betty taking care of him. It made him feel, for lack of a better word, special.

Betty finished wiping away the blood, but Jughead was still looking away. She could stop noticing how adorable he looked when he was brooding. Images of James Dean flashed through her brain as Jughead tried to stop himself from wincing.

“And all this time, I thought you were a lover not a fighter.” Betty said, staring at him affectionately.

_ Up until these last few months, I thought I was neither.  _ Jughead thought.  _ But now... _

“I'm both. I got layers.” Jughead explained to her. 

Betty smiled at him as he folded his arms in front of himself. 

_ If anyone has the capability to be both, it is Jughead. _

“You were doing something nice.” Jughead admitted for the first time aloud. “It's just that sometimes when people do nice things for me I short circuit. Maybe I'm not used to it. Maybe I'm scared.”

_ Scared of what?  _ Betty wondered, happy this newest revelation about him didn't come from another line of questioning by her.

“Of getting hurt. Of being rejected.” Jughead told her “for being myself.”

_ I never thought that would bother you.  _ Betty thought, but was afraid to admit aloud.  _ I always thought of you as someone who didn't care what the world thought of him. Someone above the need to please people. And maybe you are most of the time. But I guess not even you are immune to people's _ judgement.

_ But what do I say now? I can't promise you the world won't reject you for being yourself. Not when I am so scared of parts of me that I can't control. Parts you don’t know about yet. Parts I guess you should know. _

“I should have told you about Chuck.” Betty said, deciding now was as good of a time as any to talk about her side of things. “But I lied and instead I threw you this party you didn't even want.”

“Why did you?” Jughead asked, still not sure why she would have lied about Chuck in the first place. 

_ Did she really think that I wouldn’t understand?  _ Jughead thought.  _ That somehow I wouldn't stand by her if the truth came out. Impossible. I can't imagine anything that Betty would be capable of that I couldn't stand by her through. Even if everything Chuck said was true, there is nothing in his words that make me think any less of her than I did earlier today. _

“Something is very very wrong with me.” Betty admitted, sounding choked as she did. “Like there is this darkness in me that is overwhelming sometimes. I don't know where it comes from, but it makes me do these crazy things like.”

Betty hesitated for only a moment, before showing Jughead the scars on her hands. 

_ There it is. My darkest secret out in the open. These open wounds that are clearly not new. Between the scars and what I did to Chuck, can Jughead ever look at me the same way? _

Jughead looked at the scars on her hands. 

_ It definitely explains a lot.  _ Jughead thought.  _ Why it seemed like almost all of your nervous habits have to do with your hands _ . 

_ But it doesn't matter to me. Those scars are the war wounds of a girl who has to be everything to everyone, including me. What you did to Chuck, while horrible, is not my job to judge or forgive. And I don't need to. I see you Betty not as a twisted girl who is doomed to suffer, but rather as a person who is struggling to get through life. A person who has a certain image that the world as cast upon them that they struggle to deal with or work aganist. _

_ Just like me. _

He folded her hands together in his and brought them up to his lips. 

_ I wish I could make things better for you.  _ He thought.  _ I wish holding your hands in this booth could heal these scars. These and the scars that don't show. _

Betty never thought she would be so relieved that Jughead knew about this. He didn’t have to say anything for her to know exactly what he was thinking. Despite all they had been through tonight, Jughead was not going to judge her or look at her any differently. He was going to be there and hold her hands. He was going to accept her when she can't even fully accept herself. 

The relief that filled Betty, turned into a moment of fleeting happiness as she leaned in to kiss him briefly. As their lips touched, she knew that everything was going to be OK between them. As she placed her head on his shoulder, finally able to let him be her shoulder to lean on this time, she allowed herself to let the shame Chuck filled her with wash over her. She knew now that she could handle anything with Jughead by her side.

“Do you want me to punch Chuck again?” Jughead asked her, hoping to make her feel better as he rubbed his hand u and down her arm. “Because before I went through a table, I really enjoyed it.”

Betty smiled weakly. 

“I think it is for the best if we just let him be. For now at least.” Betty told him. 

Jughead nodded as he rubbed her shoulder. 

“Are we ok?” Jughead asked, looking down at her. “I’m sorry, I just really need to know.”

She wanted to tell him yes, but there were a couple more things they needed to be honest about before they could move on.

“Almost.” Betty told him, sitting up as the waitress came back with the check and a couple to go cups. 

“Whenever you are ready.” the waitress said as she walked away.

Jughead grabbed the check which had scribbled ‘Happy Birthday’ and 0 dollars written on the bottom.

“I guess all of Riverdale knows it is my birthday now.” Jughead sighed, pocketing the receipt. 

Betty looked over at him, her facing flashing with concern.

“I suppose I couldn’t avoid people finding out eventually. And if I get a free milkshake out of it…” he said, grabbing a sip of his milkshake. 

Betty smiled as she finally felt ready to drink hers.

She took a big long gulp of her vanilla milkshake before addressing Jughead again. 

“I’m not perfect, Juggie. I know I spent so long trying to be. For my mom, for my sister. Even for you and Archie. But I am just not.”

“I know that.” Jughead told her. “I have always known that. You are an incredible person, Betty Cooper. You have always worked so hard to be so many different things. It isn’t surprising that people think you are perfect. But I don’t.”

Betty felt her heart skip a beat. 

“Then why did you say it?”

“Because it is easier to justify to myself why things won’t work out between us if we are categorized.” Jughead told her. “You being the perfect girl next door makes you the exact opposite of me.”

“But you are not the opposite.” Betty justified. “You are not the opposite at all. Hasn’t tonight shown you just how much we have common? How connected we are?”

Jughead nodded. 

“We are not as opposite as I used to think we were.” he conceded.

_ But never in a million years would I classify us in the same way.  _ Jughead thought to himself.  _ Because I will never forget just how lucky I am that you would even look my direction, let alone care about me in any significant way. _

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, avoiding the final piece of the discussion. Neither of them were really ready to deal with it.

Betty poured the rest of her shake into her to go cup as they got up and left Pop’s, Jughead carrying his hat in his hands.

Betty sighed, knowing that she was going to have to be the one to say the words.

_ It's my fault this is even a discussion. _

“Do you really think I would end things with you if…” Betty started, but she couldn’t make herself say it.

Jughead waited a moment, but realized that he should be the one to bring it up. 

_If I hadn't_ _brought him up in that stupid argument..._

“If Archie decided he wanted to be with you.” Jughead finished, though instantly felt sick to his stomach at the thought. 

He didn’t answer immediately. There was really no good answer to this question. If he said yes, he was a jealous boyfriend who couldn't get over his girlfriend's past. But he knew he couldn't just deny it.

She looked at him questioning. Jughead could feel her eyes pleading with him for a real answer.

_ No answer is worse than a bad answer.  _ Jughead determined, deciding he needed to at least let her a little bit inside his head.

“I don’t know.” he admitted. “I would like to be evolved or neutral on this, but this is one of those things I can’t be neutral about.”

Jughead sighed as he looked at her, worried that she might be taking this the wrong way.

“He is my best friend and I spent years watching you love him...”

Jughead felt as if he were being stabbed in stomach. He really wished he could avoid talking about this. 

“There’s not a person in Riverdale who didn’t think that someday, the two of you would…”

He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t let himself think it for more a fraction of a second. The very idea of Archie…

Jughead had to put it out of his mind, if for no other reason so he could continue his conversation. He put his hat back on and took a deep breath to prepare for his next words.

“I don’t think you would ever try to break my heart.” Jughead told her. “But I need to be prepared in case you do not get a choice.”

Betty nodded. 

“I understand.” Betty told him, realizing how honest he was being with her. “I used to think that Archie and I were destined to be together.”

Betty felt herself tense up, wanting to recoil from this converation.

_ No. He was honest with me... _

“It seemed logical; next door neighbors turned high school sweethearts turned wedded blissfully is supposed to be the dream.”

Jughead's eyes tore away from her for the first time since Pop’s to stare straight ahead of them.

_ I know we have to talk about it, but I feel like drowning in maple syrup would be less painful than this conversation.  _ Jughead concluded, trying his hardest not to wince or run away. _ Or being beaten to death by a thousand copies of the Riverdale Register. _

“But logic doesn’t dictate life.” Betty continued. “I loved Archie for a very long time. I still love him…”

This was the part Jughead was dreading the most to hear. He had known when they started dating that Betty wasn't completely over Archie, but to hear the words was almost more than he could stand.

“But it's not in the same way. It's not the way it used to be. It's not in the way I…”

Betty stopped herself. She had completely stunned herself with her own thoughts. The words popped into her head and almost spilled out without allowing her to consider their meaning. She realized that she was about to say ‘not in the way I love you’

_ I love him?  _ Betty questioned herself. But unlike every other decision she had ever made, she didn't have to create a list of pros and cons or spends months preparing different alternatives. The way she felt in this very moment was crystal clear.

She was in love with Jughead Jones. 

_ But it is too soon for that. _ Betty chastised herself.  _ Our relationship isn’t ready for that. We just had our first major fight. We just admitted some of our darkest secrets.  _

_ I love him, but it is too soon to expect him to love me. _

“Not in the romantic way.” Betty told him, deciding this was the better way to say what she was feeling “I’m with you, Jughead. It’s just you. It’s been just you for awhile now.”

Jughead smiled as he was finally able to look at her again, the painful topic behind them.

“I’m so sorry for everything I said.” Jughead said, wanting this to be the end of their first fight. “I am not sure I can count how wrong I was tonight. I know I was upset about the party, but I never should have taken it out so much on you.”

“I understand.” Betty said, accepting his apology. “I will never again throw you a party you don’t want and you will never again assume the worst of me.”

“I can’t promise that.” Jughead said, knowing himself too well. “I promise to try to remember that you are never going be trying to hurt me.”

Betty nodded. 

“Next year, we will do something just the two of us.” Betty promised him, grabbing his hand as they continued their walk towards their respective homes.

_ Next year.  _ Jughead dreamed.  _ Something to look forward to.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like the newest chapter. I won't get to see the newest episode of Riverdale til Saturday so know I am currently envying all of you and your watching abilities.


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x11: Betty discusses the Homecoming dance with Principal Weatherbee.

“But Principal Weatherbee, I have every confidence that Ethel can handle the decorating for the dance.”

“No more excuses, Ms. Cooper. I expect you to be at the Homecoming planning meeting this afternoon or there will be corrective actions taken against you, possibly your removal from this committee.”

Betty felt her blood boil. There were so many parts of her mind screaming to tell him fine. To just resign from the committee and be done with it. But she couldn’t do it. No matter how defiant she might feel in this moment, she knew she had to think of how not being on this committee could affect her college applications. And if that was something she could avoid thinking about, Betty Cooper was no quitter.

Betty took a deep breath before replying to Weatherbee. 

“I will be at the meeting today.” Betty managed to say with almost no malice leaking out. 

“Good. You should probably be heading to class now Ms. Cooper. You wouldn’t want to be late.”

She briefly nodded as she tugged on her backpack strap and walked out the door, trying not let how enraged she was feeling leak out.

_ I’m on every committee. I volunteer for every cause. Just once I want to delegate some work and he acts like I’m lazy and irresponsible.  _

Betty was practically storming down the halls until she reached the door to the Blue and Gold office, a place she had come to view as a personal sanctuary in the last couple months. But before she could enter and let the relief of being there wash over her, she look through the window and saw her mother furiously typing at her desk. 

Betty quickly backed away. She was not in the mood to deal with her mother right now. 

Betty started walking down the halls, trying to see if there was an empty classroom, somewhere she could be alone until she no longer felt frustrated with the world. But after looking in most of the hall’s doors, it became obvious that this wasn’t meant to be. 

She sighed defeatedly, until she noticed a cracked door underneath a staircase.

_ Is that the closet Jughead was sleeping in before he moved in with Archie? _

Betty approached the door skeptically, looking around the inside, remembering the jackets that used to line the walls or the books carefully stacked on the floor.

_ Oh, Juggie. I still can’t believe you lived like this and none of us knew. That I didn’t know. _

Betty forgot her anger almost instantly. Even though she knew that things were better for Jughead right now, the very idea of him living in this closet was almost more than her heart could stand. 

“Elizabeth?!” Betty heard her mother shout.

Betty was filled with panic. Though she was no longer feeling as angry as she was a moment ago, she still wasn’t ready to face her mother. Without thinking, Betty darted into the closet, shutting the door behind her. 

Obscured in darkness, but feeling the relief of not having to deal with people for this moment. Not having to pretend that she wasn’t annoyed by people’s expectations of her, not having to pretend that spending this much time with her mother wasn’t making all her criticisms of Betty so much more frequent. 

Betty took a deep breath as she sought out a light source. She quickly found a lamp on the edge of broken desk. After the closet flooded with light, she took in her surrounding. 

_ The closet is surprisingly spacious _ . Betty realized.  _ If you have to choose a closet to live in… _

Betty smiled, realizing this was probably Jughead’s exact train of thought when he picked this closet to sleep in. 

She glanced at her phone. There was still at least an hour before classes started. Could she really hide in a closet until then?

_ Well, it can’t hurt to try.  _ Betty concluded, just needing to take some time to herself. Some time where no one expected her to be an investigator, a planner, or the perfect daughter.  

Betty settled down on the floor, pulling her laptop out of her backpack. She opened up the latest draft of Jughead’s novel that he sent her. 

_ How can one have such a gifted voice and not understand proper sentence structure?  _ Betty pondered to herself, bemusedly, as she began adding her comments to the draft.

After about 10 minutes, Betty began to notice noises outside the closet. People arriving to school, Betty concluded, continuing to type. But then she heard one voice in particular. 

“No Dad, I have a date for the dance.” a voice that sounded like Kevin said, sounding annoyed. 

There was a pause. 

“No one you know. But he’s real and he is going with me, so please stop trying to set me up with your deputy’s son.”

There was another pause. 

“Because he’s not gay and has an overbite.” Kevin complained.

Betty grinned, imagining the look on Kevin’s face as he explained to his father once again that he didn’t want to be fixed up. 

_ I feel like I haven’t talked to Kevin in days.  _ Betty thought.  _ Between Jughead’s party and all the other things I have going on, there just hasn’t been anytime for us. I kinda miss him.  _

_ Sounds like he could use a break from his family too.  _ Betty concluded.

Thinking quickly, Betty opened to door to talk to Kevin.

Kevin jumped at her arrival. 

“Gotta go, Dad. Talk to you later.” Kevin rushed through saying as he hung up the phone. “Geez, Betty. Way to give a guy a heart attack.”

Kevin clasped at his chest, but still seemed amused. 

“Should I have knocked first?” Betty joked, as she looked up at Kevin.

Kevin’s eyes widened at the suggestion. 

“Somehow, I think that would have been worse.” Kevin said, as he thought on it. “What on earth are you doing hanging out in a closet?” 

“Avoiding my mom.” Betty admitted, knowing that Kevin would understand. 

“Oooh, is there trouble at Casa Cooper?” Kevin asked, as he moved his way into the closet. 

“Not really. It’s just…” Betty paused, frustrated with her own situation “I have so much going on with the dance and the paper and Jughead and my mom no matter how hard she tries manages to make things so much more stressful for me.” 

Betty vented, allowing herself to show her anger to Kevin though she managed not to curl her hands up into fists as she usually did. Since telling Jughead about this, she had worked so hard to avoid this nervous habit of self harm. But she always had to consciously think about it, carefully uncurling the fingers before they could touch the palm of her hand.  

“Have you thought about downsizing your workload?” Kevin asked, sounding concerned as he sat down next to her, shutting the door behind him.

“I tried.” Betty explained, frustratedly. “Weatherbee told me I couldn’t and gave me a lecture about commitment.”

“Says the unmarried guy with tragic taste in bolo ties.” Kevin remarked, looking amused by his own comment. “If there is anything I can do to help…”

Betty smiled. She sometimes thought she took her friendship with Kevin for granted. But he was there for her so often and she wanted him to know how much she appreciated that.  

“Thanks Kev.” Betty said, bumping her shoulder against his.

Kevin smiled, feigning falling over. 

They sat in silence for a moment, then Kevin’s face changed back from amused to concerned. 

“So, I have to ask…” Kevin started, sounding hesitant to do so. “How are things with you and Jughead?”

“They’re fine.” Betty told him, suddenly feeling defensive. “Why?”

“Well, the last time I saw you was the other night at his birthday party when things were clearly not fine.” Kevin added.

Betty remembered very clearly. After she and Jughead had their fight in the garage, she had run over to Kevin, just trying to escape things for a minute, but the fight between Valerie and Archie distracted them and she never got to explain what happened.

“You know how Archie tried to warn us that Jughead doesn’t like his birthday.”

Kevin nodded. 

“He really doesn’t like his birthday.” Betty told him. “It brings up a lot of bad memories for him growing up. So when we threw him a party and when it turned into a kegger, he was very angry.”

“So you got into a fight about it?” Kevin asked, turning to face her. 

“Yes.” Betty said, feeling anxious just remembering the fight. “He was so mad Kev, I have never seen him that angry.”

“Did he say something terrible about you?” Kevin asked, as though preparing to be angry if he did.

“Not me. Mostly himself. Mostly outlining how different he thinks we are. How I’m perfect, and he’s weird.”

Kevin looked at her skeptically. 

“And you expect me to believe he just said ‘you’re perfect and I’m weird’?” Kevin questioned. “I believe Jughead could come up with something better than that in seconds.”

“Well he didn’t say it like that.” Betty explained, though not sure why.

“Then how did he say it?” Kevin questioned, seeming delighted to get the actual wording of the argument. 

Betty smiled, the memory of Jughead’s speech seeming so ridiculous now. 

“You can’t tell him I told you.” Betty said. 

Kevin marked an x over his chest, smiling in anticipation.

“It was something like this.”

Betty cleared her throat.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Betty. I’m weird. I’m a weirdo. I don’t fit in and I don’t wanna fit in.” Betty said, lowering her voice.

Kevin could barely contain the volume of his laughter. 

Betty then pointed up to her head with one finger. 

“I mean, Betty have you ever seen me without this stupid hat on, that’s weird.” Betty concluded, barely able to get the last bit of the monologue out without laughing. 

“My God, that is amazing.” Kevin exclaimed, still laughing. “One thing you gotta love about Jughead, he really knows how to relish in the drama.”

_ There’s more than one thing to love about Jughead.  _

After thinking about this, Betty’s laughter died away. She was still dealing with the emotional aftermath of realizing she was in love with her boyfriend. She had so much going on the past couple days, she hadn’t given herself too much time to dwell on it, but the thought was still there. She loved him. She was in love with him and no rationality made the fact any less true. But Betty had no idea what to do about it. The timing of it all and so many other factors had her confused about if she should do anything.  

“Betty, what’s going on?” Kevin asked, his laughter stopping too as he took note of Betty’s change in mood. 

“Nothing.” Betty quickly replied, not sure she was ready to share this with Kevin. 

“That’s a lie.” Kevin said, matter of factly. “We might be in a dimly lit closet, but I can see you are blushing and oh my God.”

Kevin reached out for her, the look of an epiphany spread across his face.

“Betty? Is it? Did you? Are you?” Kevin asked, unable to complete a thought.

Betty was internally freaking out. 

_ Does Kevin know? Was he able to figure out something? _

Kevin sat there agape.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.” Kevin told her, sounding amazed.

Betty cringed. 

_ How had he figured it out so quickly? I didn’t even know how I felt about Jughead til a couple days ago. And now apparently, it is painfully obvious that I love him to everyone I interact with. _

“Kevin, you can’t say anything.” Betty pleaded, though she doubted Kevin could keep his silence about something this big. “It’s not something I am talking about. Not yet.”

“How can you not be talking about it?” Kevin said, sounding amused. “If I had sex with Jughead, I would be shouting it from the rooftops. Not that he is my type or anything but damn.”

_ Sex?  _ Betty thought.

“Whoa, I never said Jughead and I had sex.” Betty said, blushing more furiously now.

“But you started blushing and I was talking about Jughead.” Kevin questioned, doubtfully.

“Not at the idea of Jughead and I doing it.” Betty said.

“But did you?” Kevin asked.

“That’s between me and Jughead.” Betty answered defensively. 

“So no.” Kevin concluded, sounding disappointed. 

Betty smirked. As invested in Betty’s sex life as Kevin seemed to be, other than the in the moment impulses, Betty had never really given much thought to the idea of she and Jughead having sex. They were both so busy and guarded and there was really no opportunity for them to. Of course she wanted to, but it just didn’t seem like a priority right now. Not with a killer on the loose, a pregnant sister, a murder to solve and so many emotional issues to work through.

“We did not have sex.” Betty confirmed, reluctantly. “We went to Pop’s. We talked about our fight and all the issues it brought up for the both of us. Then we went home. He called me a couple mins after I got home cause apparently Archie was loudly hooking up with some girl in his bedroom, but that was it. We talked for about an hour, then went to bed separately.”

Kevin’s face completely fell.

“I guess talking out your issues  _ can  _ be nice.” Kevin agreed, sounding bitter. 

“It was nice Kevin.” Betty explained. “I have never really been this open with someone before let alone a boyfriend.”

Kevin nodded. 

“Sounds like Archie had a better night though.” Kevin stated jokingly.

“Kev!” Betty said, playfully swatting at him. 

“I’m sorry, but you had this epic fight and this amazing makeup, I thought the two of you might have...wait!” Kevin said, then calming himself down “Betty am I pressuring you? Cause it is totally cool if you want to wait til marriage or something like that.”

Betty smiled, thinking of Kevin’s worry of pressuring her. 

“It’s nothing like that.” Betty reassured him. 

“Is it Jughead? Does he not want to?” Kevin asked. 

“I don’t know Kevin. I don’t think we’ve ever been alone for more than a few minutes at a time in order to find out.” Betty told him honestly. 

“Sounds like a perfect time to try is after the dance.” Kevin suggested. “It would be so romantic after spending a night swaying in each other's arms.”

Kevin sighed, Betty had a hard time not sarcastically staring at him.

“Maybe. We will see if the opportunity arises.” Betty told him.

“It is totally up to you. I support your decision.” Kevin told her. “But if you do, I expect a full report.”

Betty mockingly saluted, knowing she would probably end up honoring his request even if she didn’t want to. It seemed impossible to resist telling Kevin anything. 

“Hold on.” Kevin said, realizing something. “What did you think I was talking about?”

_ Damn.  _ Betty thought, internally wincing.  _ I had hoped the sex detour would keep his mind off the actuality of my thoughts.  _

“I don't know what you mean.” Betty tried lying, though knowing instantly that she was not being convincing enough.

“Betty, please. I can smell a secret from a mile away.” Kevin informed her.

Betty opened her mouth, not sure how she intended to respond when she heard the closet door next to them open. 

Veronica Lodge stood above them, looking amused at seeing the two of them in the closet together. 

“I thought I heard the two of you.” Veronica said, looking down at them. “Why are you in the closet?”

“Believe it or not, the first time I have ever been asked that question.” Kevin joked.

“We were hiding, but we should probably get to class.” Betty said, trying to stand up in order to escape.

But Kevin was quicker and pulled her back down.

“Betty was hiding from her mom and Principal Weatherbee. and now she is keeping a secret.”

“A secret.” Veronica said, pushing her way into the closet taking a seat in front of them two of them. “But I know all of your secrets, don't I, B?”

Betty cringed. As close as she and Veronica had become in the past few weeks, she hadn’t even scratched the surface when it came to her secrets. The only person she had been completely honest with was Jughead.

Rather than answer with another unconvincing lie, she merely sat there looking uncomfortable.

“Oh my God. You have to tell us.” Veronica said, tucking her legs under her, the look of excitement in her eyes matching the one in Kevin’s.

Betty shook her head, deciding the best course of action was to try to deter them.

“You guys, no. It's not something I am sure I am ready to share yet.” Betty answered honestly. 

“Oh come on, Betty. Whatever it is can’t be that bad.” Veronica told her, looking desperate to know this secret.

“Let’s see.” Kevin started, clearly in investigative mode. “We were talking about your fight with Jughead and I said something about Jughead loving drama and...oh.”

Kevin looked ashamed as he quickly silenced.

Betty could tell by the look in his eyes that he figured out. Somehow with no prompting from Betty, Kevin now knew the truth about what Betty was afraid to say. 

“What?” Veronica asked, glancing between Kevin’s shocked face and Betty’s guilt ridden one. “I mean I don't know Jughead very well, but if his desperate desire to save the drive in was any clue for his flair for dramatics...”

“Betty, are you sure?” Kevin asked, interrupting Veronica as he grabbed Betty’s hand

“No.” Betty told him, embarrassed that he figured it out, “Well maybe. It's all too fast, I know it is.”

Kevin nodded thoughtfully.

“What about Archie?” he asked, his tone gentler than it had been. 

“Archie?” Veronica questioned, a note of panic in her voice. “What does Archie have to do with Jughead loving...oh”

_ Oh great, Veronica knows too. Might as well write it on a billboard overlooking Sweetwater Bridge. _

“Have you told him?” Kevin asked.

Betty shook her head. 

“Are you going to?” Veronica questioned.

“I don’t know that I should.” Betty confessed. “It’s too soon, I know it is and I don’t want to scare him.” 

Kevin nodded, clearly seeing her point. 

“B, these things happen when they happen.” Veronica told her confidently. “We can’t always control when we feel things.”

Betty nodded. She knew this was true. It is not like she asked to fall in love with Jughead, but even so she didn’t want to make things awkward for him or for their relationship. 

“Betty, this weekend at the dance. At least consider talking to him about it.” Kevin told her. 

“Kevin, you think everything epic and dramatic happens at school dances.” Betty told him, amusedly. 

“Am I wrong?” Kevin questioned. 

Betty and Veronica exchanged glances, both clearly thinking back to their last school dance. Even excluding the finding of Jason Blossom’s corpse at the end of it, the night had definitely been a life changing one for all of them. 

“Fair enough.”  Betty agreed. 

“Just consider it, B.” Veronica told her. “There are worse things to hear from your girlfriend than…”

“Shhh!” Kevin exclaimed. “You can’t say until she says it!” 

“Why not?” Veronica asked, seeming mildly annoyed. 

“Because we shouldn’t be the first ones to hear it!” Kevin told her rushedly.

Betty smiled at Kevin’s attitude. Even if he figured out her secret, he was still allowing her to not say it and she loved him for it. 

_ Kevin has always been a romantic.  _ Betty thought, happily

The school bell rang, signaling that they should be heading off to class. 

“I guess we should actually get to class now.” Betty said, standing up, stepping over Kevin and opening the door.

“At least think about it?” Kevin asked. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

_ I could tell my boyfriend I love him, he freaks out, breaks up with me and I have to live with the fact that I drove the best thing in my life away because I couldn’t keep my feelings in check.  _ Betty thought instantly.  _ Or maybe something less severe.  _

“I will think about it, Kev.” Betty told him, knowing that thinking about it wouldn’t change her mind. 

“Talk to you later, B.” Veronica said, as she and Kevin headed in the opposite direction of better. 

Betty waved as she watched her friends walk away.

_ I know they want what’s best for me, but they just don’t understand this. They don’t understand what Jughead and I have. And for now,  I have to preserve it all costs, even if the cost is waiting for the right moment to tell Jughead how I feel.  _

Betty started to walk towards her first class of the day when her cell phone buzzed. It was a text message from her mother.  

**Elizabeth, can you and Veronica meet me at the Blue and Gold office in 5 minutes? Don’t worry, I already talked to your teacher about it.**

Betty sighed, knowing she could no longer avoid her problems, texting Veronica to meet her at the Blue and Gold.

She dragged her feet as she approached the door of the office, worried that whatever her mother was summoning her here for was not going to make her day any better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a small part of this chapter was inspired by the following tumblr post. I found it very amusing and I wanted to include it partially (at least the spirit of it) into my chapter, but I wanted to make sure anyone who hasn't seen it has the opportunity to do so and to make sure this blogger got the inspirational credit they deserve. 
> 
> http://lodgeveronlcas.tumblr.com/post/166480312208/so-since-kevin-called-jughead-mr-weird-im-a


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x11: Jughead runs into Alice in the school hallway

Jughead felt like he had gone through every storage closet in Riverdale High. It seemed as though he had spent hours moving boxes around, digging through them and hoping to find something he could use. Betty had tasked him to find more lights for decorating the gym. Jughead was not usually the school spirit kind of guy, planning dances seem to fall in that category, but it didn’t take him more than a couple of seconds after this request to see his girlfriend’s nerves were on edge. Because of this, he found himself elbow deep digging through dusty boxes, hoping that he would stumble upon something that could be useful to her. Despite spending at least an hour doing this, Jughead was pretty sure the ones he had found would all be useless. As much as he tried to ignore all the dance talk, he knew the general look required white lights and most of the ones he had found were colored ones. 

Jughead sighed, knowing he didn’t have it in him to search through another box in vain. 

_ Knowing Betty, these are all back up lights anyway.  _ Jughead concluded, dropping the old trophy he had been holding back into the box. He stood up, grabbing the box of lights he had managed to find and walked out of the closet, hoping Betty wouldn’t be too disappointed with his findings.

_ If she needs more lights, I still have some of my savings from the drive in left, I can run to the store and buy some more.   _ Jughead justifies as he starts heading back towards the gymnasium, half a box full of lights in hand.

_ Although how well lit does a school dance need to be?  _ Jughead wondered. _ Reunions with people you haven’t seen in years should be poorly lit so you don’t have to face how different everyone else is.  _

Jughead smiled to himself at the thought of people stumbling around a dark gymnasium when he heard the ominous clicking of heels running behind him. 

_ Why would Veronica need to get somewhere this quickly?  _ Jughead asked himself, thinking of the only person he knew who wore heels to school. 

He shook his head as he continued down the hall, deciding whoever she was chasing it probably wasn’t him. 

“Jug-head!” he heard the clicking heels behind him shout.

Jughead instantly froze with terror. Only one person in the universe insisted on emphasizing the syllables in his nickname. 

Betty’s mother, Alice, nearly tripped trying to stop herself in front of him. 

“There you are.” she said, sounding relieved and a bit out of breath. “I’ve been looking for you for the past hour.”

Jughead had a hard time believing that. Sure, he might have been digging through dusty closets, but it was not as though he were staying hidden. Although if he had known Betty’s mom was looking for him…

“Betty said you were helping decorate for the dance.” Alice said, sounding as though she were making polite conversation.

“I am…” Jughead replied skeptically.

Alice looked like a woman on a mission, Jughead concluded. There was a determined look on her face that Betty wore every time she was on a crusade. And even though it was a different person, Jughead found himself just as compelled to know her thoughts, knowing when Betty looked like this, there would be nothing to deter her.  

_ What could she possibly want with me?  _ Jughead thought in fear. 

“Well, I was wondering if you have any plans before the dance tomorrow night?”

_ Plans?  _ Jughead hesitated before answering. 

“Well,” Jughead began, thinking back to the plans he had made just earlier that day.

“I know this is kind of last minute,” Alice interrupted “but would you be interested in having dinner with Betty and I before the dance?”

_ She’s inviting me over for dinner? Is that really what’s happening here? _

Jughead had barely wrapped his mind around the idea of his girlfriend’s mother inviting him to dinner and the incredible meal he was sure she would prepare, when he snapped himself back to reality.  __

_ Even if it is a genuine invite, you can’t. You already made plans.  _ Jughead had to remind himself

“I can’t. I promised my dad I would have dinner with him before we picked Betty up for the dance.” Jughead told her, hoping that she wouldn’t assume that he was lying to get out of it. 

Alice seemed unphased by this declaration of Jughead’s. 

“That’s actually perfect because I was hoping FP would join us.” Alice informed Jughead, sounding even more pleased by this development. 

_ My dad in the same room as Betty’s mom? I can’t even imagine them in the same building, let alone sitting at the same dinner table making polite chit chat.  _

_ Besides, he is just now getting things back together. Spending a night with Alice Cooper might cause a set back _

“I don’t know.” Jughead questioned, thinking about the millions of things that could go wrong.

“I just thought, with homecoming bringing people together, that this would be the perfect time for us all to reacquaint ourselves with each other.” Alice told him. 

Jughead nodded, not sure what to make of this. 

“And with yours and Betty’s relationship, it is very imperative that we all exist in each other’s lives.”

Jughead paused for a moment. 

“It’s imperative?” he questioned.

“Yes.” Alice told him stalwartly. “If your relationship is to prove to be long lasting, you are going to need the support of the people who love you most. And part of supporting you is supporting each other.”

Jughead saw her point. As great as things seemed to be going for him right now, he knew that it was only a matter of time before they fell apart again. And if Alice was being serious, if she wanted to be supportive, was he really going to turn her down?  

“Oh Jug-head, would you at least consider it?” Alice asked, a note of pleading in her voice. 

_ There’s another Betty look.  _ Jughead thought as he looked at her mother.  _ That’s her ‘I really want this thing to happen and you’re powerless to it’ look. Or probably more accurately, her look of hoping for a positive outcome. _

Jughead groaned internally. 

“I will talk to my dad about it.” Jughead reassured her. “I will let you know if we can make it as soon as I can.”

“That’s wonderful.” Alice said as the biggest smile Jughead had ever seen was plastered across her face. “I will see you and your father at dinner tomorrow. Make sure to bring your appetites. ” 

Alice continued to smile as she walked away, seeming as though she had accomplished her mission.

_ Betty’s mom invited my father and I over for dinner? Did that actually happen?  _ Jughead wondered, as he walked away. 

_ She seemed so hopeful, so optimistic. _

Jughead felt himself smiling as he thought about the interaction. 

_ Betty probably put her mother up to it.  _ Jughead concluded.  _ She wants us all to get along so much. Can I really say no to that?   _

Jughead walked into the gymnasium as Betty seemed to be staring up at the top of the ladder in front of her. 

“Hey, you.” Jughead said, trying to get her attention

Betty whipped her head around to see him.

She mouthed the word hey as she looked down at the box of lights. 

Before she could ask, Jughead decided to ask her about her mom’s invite. 

“Why didn’t you tell me about the dinner?” 

“What?” Betty asked, looking immediately concerned.

“Your mom basically tackled me in the hall to invite my dad and I over before the dance.” Jughead told her, realizing that he sounded happy by the prospect of it. 

Betty’s look of concern didn’t fade with Jughead’s explanation, causing Jughead to worry. 

_ Did Alice not tell Betty? Why wouldn’t she? Unless this is about something else… _

“Did you not know?” he asked, already allowing his mind to fill up with paranoid thoughts of what Alice’s true agenda could be in inviting them over to dinner. 

“No, no, no. Of course.” Betty quickly reassured him.

_ Way to be paranoid there, Jones.  _ Jughead chastised himself.  _ It’s no wonder people don’t do nice things, you are always so suspicious of their motives.  _

_ “ _ I got so many….” Betty started as she gestured to the room around her, indicating the thing that was currently the cause of a lot of her stress. “Plates are spinning.” she finished with a quavering note. 

_ She’s so stressed out right now.  _ Jughead thought.  _ This dinner might give her something else to think about.  _

“I’m little terrified by the social experiment of it all, but I think it is good our families get to know each other.”

He could see Betty nodding, his distraction clearly taking her mind off the stress of the dance. 

“I think it is important, for us, you know?” Jughead continued, feeling lighter as he admitted this aloud. If his dad and her mom got along, things would be so much better for all of them. It would feel like they had so much less to fight if they didn’t have to fight their families to be together. 

The look in her eyes made Jughead’s insides want to melt. She looked so happy, so content. Apparently she saw all the benefits of their families being a united front too. 

Jughead smiled back at her. 

Jughead felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Manuevering the box into his left arm, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw it was his dad calling. 

_ Perfect timing for a change, Dad. _

“Betts, it’s my dad. I gotta ask him if he will come with us to your mom’s dinner.”

“Ok.” Betty said, her smile unwavering. 

Jughead answered the call, walking over to put the box down against the wall.

“Hey, Dad. What’s up?” Jughead asked, switching his phone over to a different ear. 

“Jug, I found your grandpa’s suit in the closet.” FP told him. “It seems to have survived the test of time fairly well, if you wanted to wear it to the dance.”

Jughead momentarily cringed. He remembered having the conversation with his dad earlier about the dance and not being sure what he was going to wear to the dance. But could a suit belonging to his grandfather really work?

“It’s not powder blue is it?” Jughead asked, cautiously. “Cause I can just wear Kevin’s suit again. He never asked for it back.”

FP chuckled.

“Powder blue was my time, not your grandfather’s.” FP informed him “And no. Basic black. And should fit you.”

Jughead nodded, even though his father couldn’t see him. He would have to exam this suit more closely later. There were more pressing matters to discuss. 

“Well, I’m glad you called Dad, because I was wanting to ask a favor.” Jughead started, though the idea of asking him for a favor made Jughead uncomfortable. 

“Look, I know it is your first dance, but you are not borrowing the truck.” FP said, with a note of humor in his voice. “I told Fred I would check on the site around 9 and I need to use it to haul equipment…”

“That’s not what I was going to ask.” Jughead told his father, starting to feel embarrassed by his father’s assumption.

“Well, what is it?” FP asked.

Jughead took a deep breath before speaking.

“Betty’s mom suggested dinner before the dance.” Jughead told his father in a rush. 

FP sighed on the other end of the phone. 

“No worries, kid. We can grab a bite the next night.” FP said, sounding mildly disappointed. “If Alice is inviting you over, that is a pretty big deal.”

“Actually, she invited us both over.” Jughead informed him, glad that his dad at least somewhat understood the importance of this. 

“Alice Cooper invited the Jones men to dinner?” FP questioned. “Hell must be freezing over.”

Jughead nodded vehemently. 

“Would you be willing to go?” Jughead asked, hoping he didn’t sound too desperate for his father’s acceptance. 

FP sighed once again. This time though, it seemed like it was more out of hesitation than disappointment. 

“I don’t know Jug.” FP told him. “I’m not sure me around them is a good idea.”

Jughead took a deep breath and then nodded, even though his father couldn’t see him.

_ It’s to be expected.  _ Jughead thought.  _ He’s not ready to be tested in his resolve to stay sober and a dinner with a possible antagonistic source would definitely be a test. At least he knows this. As much as it sucks, I admire that he knows he can’t handle it.  _

FP sighed on the other end of the line.

“This is really important to you, huh?” FP asked. 

“It is.” Jughead told him, surprised by his own willingness to do so. Even though the invitation had only been moments ago, Jughead could see the potential of it. He felt as though things could really be on the right track for them after this dinner.  

“And it is just a dinner? We aren’t expected to go to the dance together afterwards or something?” FP asked. 

“Dad, you don’t have to do this. If it is too hard…” Jughead began. Even though he wanted his father to be a part of this, he did not want to guilt his father into doing something he would regret.

“Let me decide what’s too hard, kid.” FP told his son.

Jughead felt his spirits lift, knowing that there would be no changing his father’s mind now. 

“It’s just one night.” Jughead reassured him. “One dinner. If it’s awful, I will never ask you to do it again.”

FP chuckled.

“And I will hold you to it.” FP said.

“So you’ll go?” Jughead asked, knowing he had to hear his father say the words. 

“How can I say no?” FP agreed.

Jughead felt as though his heart could explode with happiness.

“Thanks Dad.” Jughead told his father, at this point unable to ignore just how happy he was feeling. “I’ve got to get back to helping Betty. I will call you later, ok?” 

“Take it easy, Jug.” FP said as he hung up on his end. 

Jughead clicked his phone off as he looked around the room in search of Betty. He quickly spotted her, surrounded by a couple other students.  

“Betty, Betty, Betty.” Jughead said, running over to her where she stood by the balloons. “He agreed. My dad is coming to dinner with your family.”

_ Ok, I think I have reached my threshold for happiness.  _ Jughead thought.  _ I might start singing if one more good thing happens.  _

“That’s great, Jug.” Betty said, though not in the most convincing way.

_ She is probably still freaking out about the dance. _

“The dance is going to be great, Betts.” he assured her, placing a hand on her arm. “You’ve been pouring yourself into it and it is going to pay off.”

Betty managed a weak smile.

“Thank you, Juggie.” she told him. “I need to go though.”

Betty started backing away, Jughead’s hand dropping back down to his side.

“Is everything ok?” he asked, noting that she wasn’t bothering to let anyone else know she was leaving. 

“Of course. I just have some stuff to take care of at home.” Betty told him, a look of determination in her eyes, similar to the one her mother had earlier. “I will be back later, ok?”

“Ok.” Jughead said. “Talk to you later, Betty.”

“Bye Jug.” she said mournfully as she walked out the door.  

Despite the suddenness of Betty’s exist, Jughead was feeling more right with the world than he had for as long as he could remember. Everything felt like it was falling into place right now in his life. He had great friends, an amazing girlfriend, and a father who was actually trying to be a good father. Despite the nagging voice of doubt that Jughead could never quite quell, he felt optimistic.

Everything is alright.  


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x11: Betty prepares for the dance

_ This is ridiculous. I have to tell him.  _

Betty was sitting at the vanity in her room, putting on her makeup as she prepared for dinner with her mom and Jughead and his dad before the homecoming dance. She had spent all day having the same argument with herself over and over. She knew her mother had only invited Jughead over as a way to interrogate his father and she should tell him. But there were so many things stopping her from telling Jughead the truth.

_ But it is a set up. I know it is.  _ Betty started in her mind for the thousandth time.  _ I can’t just let him walk into something that could hurt him the long run.  _

_ But what if my mom is telling the truth? What if she really is planning on being on her best behavior? Shouldn’t I give her that chance? _

Betty shook her head as she applied her lipstick. 

_ Why should I give her that chance? As hard as my mother tries to be different, she always falls back to her cunning ways. _

_ I have to tell him.  _ Betty determined, as she always did. _ He should know what is going on. _

This resolve to tell him wouldn't last and she knew it. She sighed as she wiped any stray bits of makeup away from her face.  __

As Betty began to put her makeup away, she was suddenly ripped away from her thoughts and actions by a knocking on in the bedroom window. 

She turned around and saw Jughead, standing on a ladder formal wear clad, waiting for her to open her window for him. 

Betty blushed at the memory of Jughead’s first climb up the ladder into her bedroom. The day that he had kissed her and made his feelings for her known had forever changed her. It hadn't been very long since that dark day in her room, but they had come so far since then. She had been through so much and with Jughead by her side, she had powered through and come out of it stronger than ever.

And now there he stood, the exact same place, looking at her in the exact same way, even after everything with Chuck. 

_ There stands the boy I love. _

Betty smiled as she stood up, walking over to the window to unlatch it. 

“Juggie, what are you doing here?” she asked, a laugh in her voice.

“Can I come in?” he asked, looking up at her. 

Betty nodded as she stepped aside to let him in. 

Jughead climbed in her room, tripping a little over his dress shoes. 

“Is everything ok?” Betty asked once Jughead regained his balance. “Is there something wrong with your dad? Does he have to cancel?”

Betty couldn't decide whether FPs cancellation would be a good thing or a bad one. Sure he would avoid her mother, but that risked disappointing Jughead and that was the last thing Betty wanted. 

“Betty, everything’s fine.” Jughead reassured her, smiling as he did.

“Good.” Betty replied, still not quite sure if she believed that. 

“I just wanted to see you before the parental encounter.” Jughead joked, nodding towards her bedroom door, gesturing towards the scene of the crime.

“Ok.” Betty replied, feeling suddenly guilty. 

_ He wants to see me because he thinks we are about to have a friendly parental dinner.  _

_ Ugh this is worst feeling. I can't do anything without hurting him or allowing him to be hurt. But I can't let my mother be the one to break his heart. _

“Juggie there is something I should tell you.” Betty began, but the look on Jughead’s face gave her pause.

Jughead simply stared at her, his eyes more content than Betty had ever seen them. He looked peaceful, unhindered, and maybe even happy. Purely happy. 

“What?” she asked, not sure what could have him smiling so brightly

“Nothing.” Jughead replied, his grin now reaching from ear to ear. “You just look so beautiful.”

Betty felt herself blush. Even now during this inner turmoil, she was overwhelmed by how much this comment affected her. The way Jughead was looking at her, Betty had never felt so wanted. So desired. So appreciated.

So loved.

_ But he doesn't love me.  _ Betty had to tell herself.  _ It's too soon. And after all he has been through with his family, he may never love me. _

_ If he continues to look at me like that, it would definitely be enough for me. _

“Oh, Juggie.” Betty replied simply, at a loss for words.

“I mean it.” Jughead said, reaching up and caressing her cheek. “I mean, I knew you would, but still...I'd be an idiot not to be awestruck by it.”

“Thank you.” Betty added, practically feeling herself melt with glee. 

As he continued to look into her eyes though, those warm, giddy feelings changed. Instead of loved, she was consumed by guilt. 

“Juggie, I…” Betty started to say, determining this would be the moment when she would tell him.

But she was cut off as Jughead’s lips met hers. 

Even though she was suffering through inner turmoil, she couldn’t help but to feel butterflies as he pulled her closer to deepen the kiss.

She had kissed other boys before, but never like this. She had never had this kind of connection with someone before. Never trusted someone as much as she trusted Jughead. Before Jughead had kissed her that first time, she had never given much thought to what it would be like to be trapped in Jughead’s embrace. And now she couldn't ever imagine being this close or this connected with anyone else.

When Jughead pulled away he still held her close to him, one hand on her face, the other steadying her by the small of her back. 

“Sorry for cutting you off,” Jughead started, though he didn't sound sorry at all “but I had to do it.”

“Hmm?” Betty asked, still dazed from their kiss. 

Jughead briefly laughed at her obvious disorientation.

“It just feels like everything's falling into place, you know?” he asked, as he caressed her cheek again.

Betty’s insides burned. 

_ Why can't this be true? Why did my mother have to lure you here under false pretenses? _

Betty screwed up her courage, determined this time to say something to him.

“I don’t think you should let your guard down Juggie. Not with my mom.” she warned, hoping this would be enough to keep her focused on her goal of telling him. 

“I know, I know.” Jughead nodded, patronizingly “Your mom can only handle so much compassion and goodwill towards others.”

_ I wish that was all it was. _

“It’s more than that, Jug.” Betty said, feeling as though if she didn’t rush to say these things, she wouldn’t get it out. “My mom isn’t a good person. She has proven time and time again that she can't be trusted to be anything other than conniving.”

“But she’s trying.” Jughead said, taking a step back from her.

Betty looked over at him, surprised. It wasn’t like Jughead to see the world this way. So optimistically. In all the years she had known him, Jughead had always been someone who didn’t really believe in giving people chances and after all that he had been through, she couldn’t blame him. 

“She actually seems to be trying.” Jughead continued. “Just like my dad.”

Betty nodded along, at least hoping that his dad changing was true.

“I don't want to sound too idealistic, but it might be true. Weirder things have happened.” Jughead told her, continuing to grin. “Maybe people are actually capable of changing for the better.” 

As Betty looked at him, his eyes filled such hope and happiness Betty crumbled. She didn’t want to take that hope away from him. She couldn’t disappoint him, not when he was so sure it was a possibility. She couldn’t let that glimmer of light in his eyes die because her mother might do something horrible. 

“Maybe you’re right.” Betty said, deciding to take a turn at being optimistic, or at least pretending to be. “Maybe she can change.” 

Jughead smiled as he leaned in to kiss her once again. Betty closed her eyes, prepared to allow the bliss of kissing Jughead to erase all the anxiety she was feeling.

“Betty?” Alice, the vocal embodiment of Betty's anxiety, shouted from downstairs. “Are you almost ready? Jughead and his father will be here in a few minutes.”

“Crap.” Jughead said, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. “She’s right. I better get back over to Archie’s to meet my dad.”

He grabbed for her hand quickly, squeezing it tightly. 

“I will see you soon.” he said as he hopped out the window and descended the ladder. 

Betty smiled as she watched him climb.

_ Oh, Juggie.  I want you to be right.  _ Betty thought as she sat down on the edge of her bed.  _ I wish I could believe that my mother won't be the worst version of herself, but I can't. _

Betty almost wanted to climb out her window, grab Jughead and run as far away from all of this as she could. 

She was almost actually considering it, staring longingly out her window when her mother appeared at her door.

“Elizabeth. I asked if you were almost ready for dinner?” Alice asked, peering into her room.

Betty looked up at her mom, wishing there was some way to assure her mother would be on her best behavior. But it didn't take long for Betty to see the gleam in her eyes, the one she got right before breaking a big story.

_ A story that could make my boyfriend collateral damage. _

“I will be down in a few minutes.” Betty told her mother, needing some more time to herself before facing whatever might happen in the next hour or so.

Alice quickly huffed, before walking away from Betty’s doorway.

_ There's no way my mom is backing down. And there is nothing I can do to stop her. _

_ Nothing I can do. _

Betty was struck with an idea. A terrible idea, she realized, but it just might work.

She jumped off the bed and ran over to her phone on her vanity, dialing a number that she hadn't used in a few weeks at least.

“Riverdale Register. Hal speaking.”

“Hey, it's Betty. Are you busy tonight?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

“Dad, are you there?” Betty questioned.

“I'm here, Betty.” her father replied, sounding exasperated. “No, not really. Cataloging some back issues of the register.”

“Would you come to dinner tonight?” Betty asked before she could lose her nerve. “Mom and I are hosting Jughead and his dad before homecoming.”

Betty tried to inject as much enthusiasm as she could into that last sentence.

“I don't know.” her father replied “I don't know that your mother would appreciate that.”

_ I have to give one thing to my dad, he knows when he is not wanted. I don't know that I want him around right now either, but if anyone can throw my mother off track, it is my father. _

“Mom would love to have you join us.” Betty lied, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

“Really?” Hal questioned.

“Of course. It is homecoming, after all. A time to reunite, to remember when times were good.”

_ A time to hopefully forget that your wife threw a brick through a window at you. _

Hal was silent for a moment. 

“What time is this dinner?”

Betty winced as she prepared to tell him the next part.

“Now.”

“Now?” her father replied, sounding annoyed. “Not giving me a lot of time to decide.”

“Don't say no just yet.” Betty replied, quickly trying to come up with something. “Just stop by for dessert. Mom made her famous peach pie. One of your favorites.”

Betty didn't have to see the look on her father's face to know that she had piqued his interest.

“We'll see, Betty.” her father agreed with a groan. “That gives me about an hour or so to decide.”

Betty smiled. She knew if he thinking about the time frame that he was actually thinking about attending.

“I hope you do show up, Dad.” Betty said, trying to muster as much genuine desire as she was capable of. “It could be the first step in making things better for us as a family.”

Betty heard her father groan in defeat on the other end of the line.

“I'll talk to you later.” her father replied, hanging up the phone.

Betty was almost proud of herself and this work around she had come up with. If she could just hold her mother off til dessert, then her father would be around to pick up the slack and maybe, just maybe she wouldn't have to watch her boyfriend's dream of a picture perfect family night get crushed.

_ If Jughead Jones can be optimistic, why can't I? _


	53. Chapter 53

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x11: Post dinner at the Cooper house

_ What a disaster this turned out to be.  _ Jughead lamented as he got up from his chair at the Cooper’s dining room table.

Jughead and Betty had just suffered through what must have been the most awkward family dinner in history. The dinner itself had been great. Mrs. Cooper had made a delicious meal that they ate with polite conversation. After they had finished their meals, it felt like the entire tone of the evening changed. It became less of a meal amongst people who were trying to get to know each other and more of an inquisition. Betty’s mom interrogating Jughead’s dad was bad enough, but when Betty’s dad showed up things just became more awkward. 

Having had such high hopes going into the evening, Jughead disappointment in how the evening had gone seemed much stronger than it normally would have. He just couldn't figure out what was motivating this sudden desire of Mrs. Cooper's to vilify his father.

_ Pure vindictiveness.  _ Jughead concluded, trying to justify her behavior in his head.  _ What else could motivate her to be so terrible to my dad? It's not like she knows him well enough to hate him. _

He thought back to Betty's warning about her mother before they had dinner together.

_ Why didn't I listen?  _ Jughead questioned himself.  _ Betty knows her mother better than everyone else. But I was so caught up in believing the best in everyone.  _

_ I’m not letting that happen again. _

Jughead sighed in frustration as Betty’s father practically pushed Jughead aside and threw himself out the door to get away from his wife.

_ Can’t say I blame him there. _

FP nodded at Alice as he walked out of the house.  __

Jughead shook his head as he started walking out towards the front door.

How could I have been so blind? So obsessed with things being good that I ignored all the signs about how this night was always going to go. No matter how hard we try, no one ever sees us as anything other than different.

Betty stood at the door waiting, nervously tugging at her wrap. Jughead offered his arm to her silently as they walked out the door. 

Having spent the last minute or so in self pity, he hadn’t taken the time to see how Betty was doing. The look on her face made Jughead want to turn back around and scream at Betty’s mom. Betty was clearly incredibly upset by her mother’s behavior, looking as though she had just witnessed a bloodbath. 

_ She witnessed an emotional bloodbath at least. I feel like if Polly had shown up mid dinner only to have her throat slit by Nana Blossom mid sentence, it would have been less intense than that dinner. _

Jughead knew she wasn't handling the epic failure that was their family dinner well. All throughout it, Jughead had kept glancing at Betty, and he knew she was putting on a brave face. She was trying so hard, but he could see in her eyes how much this was upsetting her. Watching her mother tear his father down had slowly cracked away at her facade, until Jughead could see how anxious she was to end the evening.

_ It’s not fair. Not just to my dad, but what did Betty do to deserve her mother putting her through this? _

Jughead stared at Betty for a moment, her gaze focused on the ground. 

_ I’m sure she is just internally combusting, blaming everything that happened on herself and not her mother.  _

Jughead squeezed her hand tightly, trying to convey what he couldn’t with words as they stepped down the stairs. Betty squeezed his hand back, but didn’t take her eyes off the ground. 

_ I really wish we had some time alone together, so I could let her know I don’t blame her _

They all walked towards his father's truck, FP having agreed to drive to the dance when they set up dinner, when Jughead heard his father clear his throat. Betty and Jughead both snapped their attention towards him.  

“Ah damn, I left my keys at Fred’s.” FP told them, gesturing to the Andrews house. “I’ll be back in a minute. Sit tight.”

FP patted his son on the back as he turned to walk to the Andrews’ house, lights still on.

“Alright, Dad.” Jughead said, grateful for the excuse to be alone with Betty for a few minutes.

They stood next to the truck, Betty's eyes still focused on the ground in front of her.

Jughead maneuvered so that he was in front of her. 

“Are you ok?” he asked, as Betty leaned against his dad’s truck.

Betty shook her head quickly.

“I’m so sorry Jug.” Betty said, her voice sounding strained, as though she were holding back tears. 

Jughead felt the disappointment of the evening wash over him for a second time. It was bad enough that Alice had done her best to break his father’s spirit, but she seemed to have actually succeeded in breaking Betty’s. Jughead felt the fury bubble up in him, almost strong enough to do something about it. 

Just as the thought of confronting Alice had crossed his mind for the millionth time in the past hour, Alice walked out of her house.

Betty looked as though she were preparing to take a step forward, but thought better of it as Alice got into her car and immediately left the driveway, hardly glancing in their direction as she did.

“You have no idea how much I regret what happened tonight.” Betty said, her voice still strained as she continued to stare at the ground in front of her. 

“Hey.” he started, placing his hands on her shoulders trying to comfort her. “It is not your fault. You couldn’t control your mom.”

Betty’s eyes met Jughead’s and he could see the rage in them. Jughead almost felt as if it were at him.   

“That’s just it though.” Betty began, her voice determinedly angry. “I should have tried harder. Forced her to stopped talking or something.”

_ I don't think that is in your power, Betts.  _ Jughead thought, but didn't say because he knew it wouldn't make her feel better, which was the goal in all of this.

“I don’t blame you, Betty.” he reassured her, rubbing her shoulders. “If anyone is to blame for this, it is me.”

“You?” Betty questioned, looking at him with doubt in her eyes.

“I shouldn’t have been so idealistic.” Jughead said, voicing his thoughts for the greater part of the last hour. “I should have been able to tell that this dinner was a trap.”

Betty looked ashamed. 

“How could you have known?” she asked, the fury in her voice disappearing. 

“Because your mother has the capability to destroy people with words.” Jughead informed her. “It's second nature to her, like breathing but more hard core.”

Betty smiled slightly.

“You must hate this. Hate my family.” Betty said, her voice breaking.

Jughead could hear the subtext

_ Betty thinks that I could hate her? Because of tonight? That I could blame her for all the chaos that her mother reigns upon Riverdale? Never.  _

“It's just one bad dinner.” Jughead reassured her. “It doesn't have to change anything. Between you and your mom. Between you and me. Not if we don't let it.”

Betty looked almost relieved. 

“Do you really believe that?” Betty asked, already sounding less destroyed.

“Of course.” Jughead replied. “It’s gonna take more than one lousy dinner to stop me from caring about you.”

Betty smiled back at him, the first real smile she had shown in a while. Jughead smiled back, feeling as though he had somehow made up for the past couple hours with her mother.

The two of them leaned close, Jughead preparing to kiss Betty when he heard the jingling of keys behind him. 

“Are you kids ready?” FP asked, his keys in hand.

Both Betty and Jughead sighed as they broke apart. 

“Of course, Mr. Jones.” Betty replied, standing up straighter so FP could unlock her door.

Once FP had unlocked the door, Jughead opened it and let Betty get in ahead of him.

As Betty adjusted to sitting in the middle of the truck, Jughead slid in beside her, briefly leaning towards her.

“Are you ok with sitting next to my dad?” he asked, wanting to make sure she wasn't uncomfortable.

“Of course.” Betty reassured him as she nervously smoothed out the skirt of her dress.

Jughead found himself staring at her hands as she did this. Ever since she had told him about her anxious coping mechanism, he wanted to make sure she was never in a position to reopen her scars, not while he was around.

FP entered the driver's side of the truck and turned on the ignition, quickly putting the Cooper house in the rear view mirror.

Jughead almost breathed a sigh of relief. Just having some space from the awfulness of the night so far was making him feel a lot better. But as he looked at Betty, he could see that the relief that had just flooded her face moments ago had disappeared, a new anxiety taking its place.

But before he could say anything else, Betty cleared her throat.

“Mr. Jones, I am so sorry about tonight. My mom, she…” Betty told him, her earnest eyes staring at Jughead's father.

Jughead felt himself immediately panic. His father had been able to hold his own without causing a huge scene during dinner, but would that last?

_ It will have to.  _ Jughead determined, fixing his stare on his father.  _ I will not let him blame Betty for this. She did nothing wrong. She can't control her mother any more than I can control mine. Betty was trying to fix things and he will not break her heart by rejecting her.  _

Jughead stared at his dad, waiting for the inevitable horrible thing that his father would say. He prepared for the righteous indignation he would feel and hoped the fallout wouldn’t be too terrible.  

“Don't worry about it.” FP said, quickly glancing at Betty before returning his gaze to the road. “Your mother has always been a piece of work, even when we were kids. She always had to have the last word or at least the best one.”

_ Wow, Dad I didn’t know you were capable of saying the right thing. _

Jughead felt so proud of his father. He was taking the high road, one Jughead knew his father wasn't very familiar with. If his father weren't driving, he would be tempted to jump up and hug him.

Betty nodded at FP’s words, though it clearly hadn’t made her feel any better. 

“I can believe that.” Jughead agreed with his father. “Although, even with that in mind, there's no telling where the motivation for her actions comes from.”

Betty winced, but Jughead couldn't tell why. But before he could spend too much time thinking about this, Betty continued.

“I just hate that she put you through that. I just wanted…” Betty began, but she clearly didn't have the words to finish her thought.

Jughead looked at her sympathetically. She had wanted so much from this night too. Why did Alice Cooper have to ruin everything just by being herself?

Jughead saw the hand next to him curl into a fist and he immediately grabbed it. He unraveled her fist and slowly rubbed the pad of his thumb across her hand.

_ I can’t sit by while she hurts herself over this. I will not let her mother have that power over her. I will hold her hand until desire to clench it stops, no matter how long that takes.  _

Betty looked at him and smiled, reaching over to put her other hand on top of his. Jughead smiled at this.

“It doesn't matter what her goal was, Jug.” FP told them, a smile of approval across his face. “We all made it out of there, didn't we?”

Jughead nodded, grateful to his dad for not holding a grudge.

_ Maybe I wasn't completely wrong.  _ Jughead concluded.  _ Alice Cooper might be just as bitter and vengeful as ever, but Dad has changed. Just a few weeks ago, he would have made a bigger deal out of this whole thing, maybe even blamed Betty some for it. But he didn't; he didn't even seem like he wanted to. _

Jughead looked over at his dad. His sober dad driving him and his girlfriend to a school dance. It almost felt, for lack of a better word, normal.

_ He’s different. He's not drinking, he's holding down a job, he even seems less bitter at the world, if that is possible. _

FP quickly glanced at his son and smiled as he turned the corner meeting up with a bunch of other cars heading towards the school.

_ And he sees me now. He doesn't just pretend to care as he has done in the past. He actually seems to care this time. _

Jughead could hear Archie's worried voice in his head begging him to be cautious.

_ But I've been cautious for so long. I've waited for him to change and now he has. What more could I ask of him?  _

_ This could work this time. Starting off slow with just me and him, then bringing Mom and Jelly home once we have proven how well this can work.  _

_ As hard as she tried, I will not let Betty’s mom destroy my father’s hard work. He is more than what she thinks of him. He deserves a chance. _

_ I think I am ready to go home. _

Betty looked over at Jughead curiously. He must have had some silly expression on his face as he made the decision to be with his father.

_ I hope she understands.  _ Jughead thought, grasping her hand more tightly.  _ I don’t need to hope, I know she will understand. She knows how much I want this. And she will support me, because she is Betty. _

Before Jughead was prepared to bring up the subject, his dad parked in front of the school doors; they had arrived at the dance.

“And here we are.” FP gestured as Jughead reached for the door handle.

As he stepped outside, Jughead had quickly noticed it was raining. He had been so distracted with thoughts of Betty and his dad that he hadn't seen the droplets pouring onto the truck. 

Betty had noticed, luckily, and she extended an umbrella out to him. 

Jughead smiled at her preparedness as he unwrapped the umbrella. Betty slid gracefully out of the truck.

“Now, you be a gentleman tonight.” FP ordered, sounding serious.

Betty turned to look at FP in the truck, all anxiety gone as she smiled at the elder Jones.

“He always is, Mr. Jones.” Betty replied, as Jughead finally managed to get the umbrella open. 

Jughead held the umbrella over Betty, his glance drifting from her to his dad. 

_ I have to do this now, before I lose my nerve. I have to talk to my dad about living with him again.  _

“Betty, would you mind giving us a minute?” he asked, hoping that she wouldn’t.

“Of course. Take your time.” Betty agreed, taking the umbrella from him and heading up the stairs.

Jughead climbed back into the truck and closed the door, something inside him screaming that this was a terrible idea. He could feel his stomach contract with how nervous this conversation made him feel. 

He could tell by the look on his father's face that he was nervous too.

“What's up?” FP asked, looking as though he were afraid of the answer.

Jughead took a deep breath before beginning.

“Look, I’ve been thinking …” Jughead began, his throat feeling dry as he spoke. “I mean, if it’s alright with you, I could come back. I could come back home.”

FP’s face flooded with relief as he patted Jughead on the shoulder.

“I'll do you one better. It's time the whole family gets back together.”

Jughead felt as though he could jump out of his skin. 

His family back together was more than he could have ever hoped for.

“Your mom, Jellybean, they've got a sweet set up in Toledo, there's work there...” FP explained.

_ Toledo? _

“Toledo?” Jughead questioned. “Why not Riverdale?”

“Because of dinners like we just had and what you're writing about in your book.” FP explained.

Jughead felt himself instantly rejecting the idea of this. 

_ But we can't go. _

“You know what happens to people like us in Riverdale, Jug. We get chewed up. I don't want that for us.”

_ My dad has a point.  _ Jughead concluded.  _ Riverdale has never been a good place for us. Constantly rejected for who we are or what we want. _

_ Well not constantly. _

Jughead looked out the window and saw Betty standing in front of the doors waiting for him.

_ Betty has never rejected me. With her, I've always felt something that I never quite had with anyone else in my life. I've felt accepted, cared about, wanted. _

_ Maybe even loved. It was the closest enough to love than I have ever had at least. Betty has cared about me and stood by me when no one else in my life has. _

_ And now my dad wants me to leave her. _

“You alright there, son?” FP asked, sounding concerned.

Jughead turned briefly to face his father, the look on his face matching the sound of his voice.

“Yeah.” Jughead replied, swallowing hard. “It is just a lot to think about.”

FP's glance followed up to where Jughead's just was.

“Yeah, I suppose it is.” he smiled.

Jughead couldn't quite figure out what his father was smiling about. He returned to looking out the window and Betty’s eyes met his. She smiled at him and all other thoughts left his mind.

_ If I were to leave Riverdale today, I would lose her. Even my recently found optimistic brain knows that two sophomores in high school couldn't survive months apart at a time in a relationship. _

Jughead smiled back up at her, still consumed with thoughts of leaving. 

_ But what would I do without her? Who else will mercilessly mock my usage of run on sentences? Who would listen to my rants about classic cinematic experiences?  Who will allow me to be myself, even when I am the worst version of it? _

_ And what would she do without me? Not that I think she desperately needs me, but I feel like she does need me, even if it is just to hold her hand as she conquers the world. There would be other friends, other guys of course that could stand strong beside her, but would they be able to care about her and support her the way I do? Would they see how amazing she is every minute they are around her? Would they appreciate her as much as I do? _

_ Would they love her the way she deserves to be loved? _

_ Love?  _ Jughead questioned his thoughts as he grasped onto the door handle of the truck for support. 

“I’ll tell you what…” his dad began, Jughead just now remembering his presence. “I still have to talk to your mom about this, so I'll give you a few days to think about it, alright.”

Jughead nodded, not sure he could formulate words.

He pulled the door opened and practically fell out of the truck, functioning as though he had forgotten how to walk. 

His dad waved him goodbye and Jughead shut the door and he drove away.

Jughead stood there flabbergasted with his own mind.

_ I love her? That can't be true. I've never loved anyone. Outside of my family and Archie. _

Jughead managed to turn himself away from the street and his eyes immediately found Betty’s. 

She smiled at him and he didn't even have to think before he felt himself smiling and walking towards her, like a man in the desert desperate for a drink of water.

_ From the small amount of observing I've done on the matter, love seems so complicated.  _ Jughead thought to himself.  _ There's no rhyme or reason to it. _

_ After everything I've been through, I wasn't sure I was capable of loving someone, let alone loving someone like Betty. Someone with more strength and goodness than I thought anyone in the world was capable. But now here I am, seriously questioning whether or not I should reunite with my family all for a girl I just started dating. It’s insane. _

As he reached the top of the stairs, Betty walked over to him.

“Are you ready?”

Jughead felt himself gulp, feeling as though Betty could read his anxious thoughts.

“We can wait outside for a few minutes if you want.” Betty suggested, though she seemed confused. 

Jughead tried to think of a way to reply, but he couldn’t. Even nodding was beyond him at this moment.

_ If only you actually could see into my brain.  Although, do I really want you to know what I'm contemplating right now? _

“Jug, if everything with my mom has really freaked you out that much, we can just skip the dance and go to Pop’s.”

Jughead felt his heart skip a beat. He knew how hard she had worked on this dance; the fact that she was willing to skip it for him...Jughead just wasn’t used to it.

“You’d really do that?” Jughead questioned, though he knew what she would say. To Betty, this was nothing. Betty was willing to put everyone else’s needs above her own, especially someone she cared about. No one in Jughead’s life had ever been willing to do that for him.

“Of course, Juggie.” Betty assured him, almost laughing as she touched his arm. “Come on, let’s get out of the ran and make our way over to Pop’s”

Betty started down the stairs, seeming unaffected by this possible change in plans when Jughead reached out to her.

_ I can’t let her leave this dance, no matter how tempting a double cheeseburger from Pop’s sounds right now. She wants to be here, I know she does.  _

“Betty wait!” Jughead said, his hand joining with hers. “Let’s go into the dance.”

Betty looked at him questioningly.

“Are you sure?” she questioned, clearly worried at this point. 

“Yeah, just feeling…” Jughead began, pausing for a moment. “Overwhelmed.”

_ Well it is the truth. Just not about dancing.  _

“But I’m ready now.” he assured her. 

_ Am I? Can I, Jughead Jones, after everything I've been through in my life and all the disappointments I've survived be ready to be in love with the girl next door. _

As soon as Betty smiled, Jughead knew the answer.

_ I can’t think of a single thing I wouldn’t do if it would spare her a moment of sadness. I would sacrifice every last minute of my happiness if it meant she could be happy. I never want her to feel as though she is anything less than the incredible person she is. _

“Well then let's get inside.” Betty said, walking back up the stairs to join Jughead.

They walked into the school together and Jughead's mind was still spinning.

_ I can't leave her.  _ Jughead concluded, as he extended out his arm for her to loop hers through as they walked through the gymnasium doors.  _ Whether or not this is all too soon and maybe I am setting myself up for failure, I just can't leave her. I can't leave the girl I love. _


	54. Chapter 54

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x12: Betty walks Jughead home after his father's confession

_ How has it only been half day since I started getting ready for the dance _ ?

Betty was exhausted from everything that they all had been through in the past few hours but she knew there was no way on earth she would be able to sleep, not after this. Not after her boyfriend's father confessed to committing the murder she had spent all semester trying to solve.

Betty, Jughead, Veronica and Archie all walked the streets of Riverdale, heading in the general direction of the Cooper/Andrews neighborhood , but without any sense of conviction. They moved like zombies, all barely holding it together. All consumed by their own demons, comtemplating what FP's confession would mean for them and for each other. Betty couldn't stop thinking about Jughead and what this was doing to him. Jughead, who had just started to believe in his father again had to bear losing him in the darkest way possible. Betty could see how shattered Jughead was without him saying a word. He was beyond tears, beyond anguish. He was completely consumed by his father’s murderous confession.

_ But he didn't do it.  _ Betty determined as they continued to walk down the street.  _ Archie said the gun was not at FP's house when they searched it which was enough to cast doubt upon the whole situation. At least enough doubt for me.  _

Betty looked to Jughead, whose pain radiated from him, causing her anguish just by looking at him. 

_ When I asked him on a better day whether or not his father could have killed Jason, he said no. He said no and he believed it. And despite his confession, I still believe Jughead. FP didn’t do it.  _

Betty looked over at Jughead, still wearing his formal attire from the dance. 

_ Has it only been a couple hours? It feels more like weeks since we walked the dance floor arm and arm. He had wanted to talk to me about something before I was distracted by Archie and Veronica. Something to do with Toledo.  _

Betty’s heart ached for a moment.

_ He said he was gonna pass on moving to Toledo for me? He was given the opportunity to leave and wasn’t planning on it then. But after everything he has been through the past few hours, would he make that same choice.  _

Betty shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts. 

_ This is not the time for me to worry about this. I have to figure out a way to make things better for Jughead. It is the least I can do after all I have done tonight.  _

Betty looked Jughead full on in the face. He wore the expression of a man who had lost all faith in humanity. Jughead always presented himself as a realist, someone who had no misconceptions about who people were and how horrible they could be. But even in thinking this, Jughead had faith in some things. Betty had seen it play out so many times. His general antagonism and sarcasm hiding that he truly believed that the people he loved were capable of being extraordinary. Even though his father disappointed him time and time again, he still believed. He still hoped he could be different. 

_ And I can’t let him give up on that. Not yet. Not until we know for sure all hope is lost. _

The quartet stood in front of the Coopers and Andrews’ houses, glancing back and forth between the doors as if trying to decide where to go next or if they should just keep on going.

_ I don’t want to leave him right now.  _ Betty thought, desperate to reach out for him.  _ But does he want me to leave? _

Archie cleared his throat causing everyone to look over at him. 

"I think I should go tell my dad what happened." Archie said, pointing at his house door. “He will want to know.”

Jughead nodded, swallowing hard and looking as though he were incapable of speech.

Veronica glanced between Betty and Jughead.

"I'll go with you, Archie." Veronica said, walking towards Archie. "We can call Smithers and have him take me back to the Pembrooke."

Betty acknowledged Veronica with a nod.

“I will let you know when I get home, B.” Veronica assured her as she headed for the Andrews front door. 

"Jug.." Archie sighed, looking more confused and defeated than Betty had ever seen him. She knew he didn’t believe in FP’s innocence, but he still wanted to be there for his best friend. He just didn’t know how. None of them knew how. 

They stood in silence for a moment,Betty and Archie staring at Jughead as he stared at the ground, all trying to think of the right thing to say to make this situation less horrible. There was nothing. 

Archie settled for patting his best friend on the shoulder. No words of consolation or false platitudes of hope. He casts his eyes to the ground as well as he turned to walk into his house, Veronica following him through the front door.

The shutting of the Andrews’ door echoed down the street. Betty winced at the sound but Jughead stood there, zombiefied. He was beyond reactions it seemed. Beyond knowing what he should do next. 

Betty stood there with him, the unseasonably cold weather causing her to curl into herself. She folded her arms over, not sure what her next move should be.

Her instinct was to pull Jughead close and endless reassure him that things would work out. But she couldn't do that. She couldn’t tell him something when she wasn’t sure if it was true or not. 

He had been so mad at her before everything with his father happened. He had blamed her partially for the humiliating dinner and the ultimate invasion of his father's privacy. Things had been bad even before things reached a whole new level of awful. She wasn't sure where they stood and she knew that right now was not the time to figure that out.

"You should probably go home." Jughead said, his voice raspy from lack of use and devoid of emotion.

Betty looked over at him, her heart breaking as she watched the boy she loved fall apart. She couldn’t leave him like this. 

"What are you going to do?" Betty asked, desperate to reach out for him but tightening her arms to stop herself from doing so.

"Right now or in general?" he asked, with no curiosity. 

As desperately as she wanted to know what was going to happen to him next, she knew he wouldn't have an answer for that.

"Right now." she responded quietly, the silence of the street stopping her from speaking louder. 

Jughead shook his head in response.

"Sleep.” Jughead said simply. “Wake up and discover this was all a horrendous nightmare."

Betty felt a tear escape.

She wanted to be strong for Jughead, but seeing him in so much pain was breaking her apart inside. Every time she looked at him, all she could see was hurt and loss. All this pain radiated from him, like a fading neon sign. 

"Juggie, I..."

"Betty, don't." Jughead said, not looking at her. 

Betty felt as though her heart had cracked open. More tears managed to slip out as she tried to figure out what to do. 

_ Should I respect his wishes? Say nothing? Do nothing? Stand aside and watch the boy I love get destroyed by everything that he loves?  _

_ I can't. _ Betty determined.  _ I won't. _

Jughead started walking towards the Andrews house when Betty internally panicked.

"I'm gonna find a way." Betty told him, her voice sounding so much stronger than she felt in that moment. "We're gonna find a way to save him, Jughead"

Jughead stopped. He turned towards her, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

"What if he can't be saved?" Jughead replied, staring at the sidewalk in front of Betty. "What if I can’t?"

_ What if he couldn't save his father or what if he couldn't be saved?  _ Betty questioned herself.  _ Whichever one he meant, he was wrong. I know it. Jughead doesn't deserve this and I will find a way to make things right. _

"There's a way." Betty told him. "I just have to find it. And I know that I can."

Jughead nodded, though he didn't seem to believe her. 

They stood in silence for what seemed like hours. The two of them, several feet apart, unable to look at each other, but unable to walk away. 

Eventually, Mr. Andrews showed up at the door.

"Jug, you should come inside." he shouted towards them.

“Ok.” Jughead managed to reply, but he didn't move.

Mr. Andrews walked back into the house, leaving the door opened for Jughead to come in. Betty stared at the open door, waiting for Jughead to make a move towards it. 

When he finally started to, Betty felt herself panic again.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Betty couldn't stop herself from asking. She needed to know how long it would be til they saw each other again. 

Jughead shrugged.

"I won't be at school." Jughead told her, still focusing on his feet "I can't face all of them."

Betty nodded. She understood. The jocks and the cheerleaders would be merciless. Cheryl would be the ultimate victim and Jughead the symbol of all that was wrong with Riverdale.   
  
"I'll stay with you." Betty told him, not wanting to leave his side. "And we can work on proving your father's innocence."  
  
As Betty spoke, she saw the way Jughead cringed that word innocence.

_He doesn’t believe in his father anymore. Tonight has broken him of it. The idea of innocence is beyond him._  
  
Jughead wiped a tear away from his eye furiously. 

"I can't do this right now, Betty." he told her, the unshed tears finally making their way through.   
  
Betty felt as though the world had stopped turning.

_ Is he suggesting what I think he is suggesting? Has my omission of my mother’s intentions ruined everything for us? With everything that has happened tonight, is he done? _

"I'm so sorry, Jug. I wasn't..." Betty started, but her voice broke as her eyes filled with tears. "I didn't..."

But she couldn’t finish the thought. She hated herself right now for being worried about this when Jughead has lost everything, but she couldn’t lose him. Not like this. 

But Jughead seemed to be feeling something for the first time in what had been hours. He looked panicked at seeing Betty like this. 

He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, just as he had done earlier that night to console her.

"I just meant that I need to be alone tomorrow.” he told her, sounding desperate for her to believe him. “ I need to figure this out how to deal with this on my own."

Betty sighed in relief, furiously wiping the tears in her eyes away.

"Ok." Betty agreed, shaking her head to rid herself of her own grief. "I can give you space. But just know that I am not giving up. Not for one second. I'm going to fix this."

Jughead nodded.

"If anyone in the world can, it's you." he told her, his voice still unchanged. "Goodnight, Betty"

Betty wanted to hold him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to do something that would breathe life back into the boy she loved.

But instead she stepped away, knowing her affection was not what he needed right now.

"Goodnight, Jughead." she told him, watching as he walked away.

As he stepped through the door, shutting it behind him, Betty felt her determination resolve. 

_ I’m going to prove FP’s innocence. I will do this for you, Jug. I will bring your father home.  _


	55. Chapter 55

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x12: Jughead the morning after FP's arrest.

“Juggie, are you awake?”

Jughead opened his eyes to the harsh light of day. The sun seemed to be mocking him as it seeped in through the blinds in Archie’s bedroom. It had only been a few hours since they had left the police station. Only a few hours since Jughead’s world had been shaken to its core. 

_ Of course I’m awake Archie.  _ Jughead thought as he moved up into a sitting position.  _ My dad killed someone. I am not sure how one is supposed to sleep after discovering that one.  _

It is not as though Jughead hadn’t tried to sleep. Sleeping through anything was one of those random talents Jughead prided himself on. But every time he closed his eyes, he would see his dad walking past him, restrained by handcuffs, beginning his life as the confessed killer of Jason Blossom. Every time Jughead began to drift off, he imagined his father pulling the trigger, ending the life of the most popular kid in school. 

Jughead knew the Serpents weren’t the type of guys you messed around with, but he never thought most of them were capable of murder. Especially not his father. But after spending the past few hours alone with nothing but his own worst thoughts, Jughead realized he couldn’t think his way out of these facts.

Archie nudged Jughead on the shoulder as he got out of bed.   

“It’s time to get ready for school” Archie said, grabbing some jeans from his dresser.

Jughead stared at his best friend for a moment. 

_ Have you forgotten everything that happened last night, pal?  _ Jughead wondered.  _ How else could you possibly think that I am stepping out of this room, let alone heading to the worst place I could possibly be right now.  _

Jughead laughed without humor, unsure why this was his reaction to Archie’s suggestion.

“It might help take your mind off things.” Archie suggested, stopping his search for a shirt to look at Jughead.

“My dad confessed to murder, Arch.” Jughead explained, the lack of any real emotion apparent. “He murdered the most popular guy in school. I really don't think being surrounded by a jury of my peers is going to help matters.”

“But he didn’t do it.” Archie justified, moving to sit next to Jughead, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. 

“I really don’t think that is going to matter to the populace.” Jughead told him, trying to inject some form of his personality into his words.

“It should.” Archie said, feebly. 

“But it won’t.” Jughead replied. “And I appreciate you trying to make things normal, but even you at your most optimistic know that I can’t be there like it is just any other day today.”

Archie looked disappointed, but he seemed to be understanding what Jughead was trying to explain.  

“Then I’ll stay home too.” Archie said, dropping his sweater he was holding and walking over to the small TV in his room. “We can finally finish that level.”

Jughead felt a wave of gratitude to Archie. The fact that Archie was willing to stand beside him through all of this affected Jughead. He almost felt something other than hopeless. But as much as he wanted to take Archie up on that offer, he knew he shouldn’t. Archie didn’t belong with him, the social pariah of Riverdale.

“You don’t need to exile yourself for me, dude.” Jughead explained, hoping that Archie would understand. “You should go to school.”

Archie looked skeptical. Jughead wasn’t sure what Archie was thinking until he saw Archie’s eyes flicker over to the backpack that belonged to Jughead. The one that Jughead had packed in a hurry last night as he prepared to run away from Riverdale at all costs.

_ He’s afraid if he leaves me alone, I am going to run.  _ Jughead thought, almost smiling.  _ My best friend knows me after all.  _

“I’m not going anywhere.” Jughead assured him. As much as he wanted to escape his current situation, Jughead had no intention of leaving. Not yet, anyway.   

“Jug, I can see it in your eyes.” Archie told him. “That desperate look to be anywhere but here.”

Archie took a deep breath and moved to stand in front of Jughead. 

“Look, I get it bro. I know you want to leave and I am not letting you go.”

Jughead was almost amazed at Archie’s read of the situation; he was right. The bus ticket in Jughead’s pocket was taunting him, begging him to leave this awful town and all of its problems. 

_ But I can’t go.  _

Every time he thought about going, his thoughts would shift to a place he was very familiar with right now. Every time the idea of repacking his things and getting out would occur to him, he would think of Betty. Mere hours ago, he had contemplated the idea of loving her and whether or not he was fully willing to admit that he did love her, he knew if nothing else he was tied to her. The thought of leaving would immediately be interrupted by the thought of her standing outside Archie’s house, the look of devastation rivaling what Jughead was feeling internally. He couldn’t be the cause of that look. He cared too much about her to knowingly break her heart. No matter how terrible things were right now, he couldn’t leave her. 

“I won’t leave, Archie. I promise.” Jughead told him, sounding the more like himself than he had felt in hours. “Please, go out and have a normal life.”

Archie still didn’t look like he believed him. He even started moving towards the backpack, as if planning to lunge at it if Jughead made a move for it. 

Jughead was about to reassure Archie of his intentions to say when his phone began to ring. 

_ Probably Betty.  _ Jughead determined as he reached over to pull his phone off the charger. 

The number that showed up on the caller ID was not Betty’s.

“It’s the Sheriff’s station.” Jughead explained to Archie.

_ Probably my dad, using his one phone call to what? Explain what he did? I don’t need to gory details. _

Jughead thought of letting it go to voicemail when the horrifying thought occurred to him. 

_ This could be the last conversation we ever have. I should let him say his peace. _

Jughead moved to answer his phone as Archie left of the room to get dressed. 

“Hey, Dad?” Jughead answered, ashamed of the hope seeping into his words. 

“Hey Jughead, it is Sheriff Keller.” the voice on the other end told him “We need you to come down to the Sheriff station as soon as you can.” 

Jughead sighed.

_ I should have known this was coming. My father has been arrested, now I am back on the Sheriff’s radar, this time as an accomplice.  _

_ No point in avoiding the inevitable. If I am staying here in town, I can’t hide from him forever.   _

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Jughead replied, hanging up the phone without so much as a goodbye. 

Archie rushed back into the room.

“What happened?” Archie asked, frantically. “Is everything ok with FP?”

“I’ve been summoned to have a chat with Keller.” Jughead told his friend, the life in his voice gone once again.

Archie looked worried.

“I’m coming with you.” Archie said, pulling his sweater on.

Jughead sighed.  As much as he wanted his best friend by his side, he knew he couldn’t have that.

“No, you’re not.” Jughead told him. “I have to do this alone.”

“Jug…” Archie said, defeatedly.

“It needs to be done.” Jughead told him, as he stood up off the air mattress.

Archie sighed as he grabbed his backpack, prepared to leave for the day. 

“Is there anything you want me to tell Betty?” Archie asked, as Jughead began to gather clothes. 

“No.” Jughead replied, knowing that he needed to be the one to tell her.

Jughead sighed as he thought of Betty, waiting for him outside her house like she did every morning, prepared to walk to school arm and arm with him. He found himself aching for the light touch of her hand on his arm. He wished he could see her smile, have it brighten what has to be one of the darkest days of his life.

But he couldn’t. Not today. She and Archie needed to exist away from him if they had any hope of being happy amidst this chaos.   

“Just keep an eye on her, ok?” Jughead asked of his best friend. “Make sure no one decides to take their anger at me out on her.”

“Jughead, I don’t think...” Archie began

“Please, Arch.” Jughead begged.

_ I know this town. They will blame her in my absence. You have to make sure she stays safe, no matter what.  _ Jughead screamed inside his head, but didn’t say aloud. He wasn’t prepared for the long conversation that would follow. 

But Archie seemed to understand.

“Ok. I will.” Archie promised, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Let me know how things with the Sheriff go.”

“Oh I can tell you right now how they are gonna go. Badly.” Jughead told Archie as he jerked his beanie onto his head.

As Archie left the room, Jughead opened his messaging app and texted Betty.

**Sheriff Keller has summoned me to the station. I will let you know how it goes.**

Jughead thought it seemed cold, but he wasn’t sure what else to say. Betty’s response was immediate. 

**Ok. Please let me know if you need anything.**

Jughead sighed. 

_ I need you Betts.  _ Jughead thought, putting his phone in his jacket pocket.  _ I need you and Archie in that interrogation room with me, telling me everything is going to be ok. But I can’t have that. I have to face this by myself.  _

***

Jughead arrived at the police station about 30 minutes later, mentally preparing himself for the worst.

_ This could be anything from ‘Hey kid, Sorry your dad is a murderer’ to ‘We know you were in on it’.  _

_ No matter what it is, I can’t let Sheriff Keller break me. I’ve gotten this far without being completely broken.  _

Jughead walked over to the receptionist desk, the weathered looking woman around 60 who still seemed to be knitting the same thing she had the last time he was here looked up at him. 

Jughead cleared his throat.

“Hi, I’m here for a meeting with Sheriff Keller.” Despite having just cleared his throat, his voice came out harsher than he was expecting. 

“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked, placing her knitting needles on her lap.

“He’s expecting me.” Jughead said, not sure if an interrogation is something one had an appointment for.  “Jughead Jones.”

The receptionist tutted at him.

“He is not expecting a Jughead Jones.” she said, sounding annoyed.

Jughead felt himself sag internally. He almost hated himself for having to say this accursed name aloud. But on this day of all days, this was the name he had to share, the one that connected him to the man contained in these walls. 

“Forsythe Jones.” Jughead told her, the entirety of his being cringing at the words that had escaped his lips. 

The receptionist, not having noticed Jughead’ discomfort, flipped an outdated day planner with the words ‘Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third’ in red ink across the day’s date.

“Which one are you?”

Jughead wished he could grab one of her knitting needles and stab the day planner in front of her.  

“Well as you have one arrested back there and the other is dead, I’m probably the third one, aren’t I?”

Before the receptionist could respond, Sheriff Keller appeared from around the corner. 

“Jughead” the Sheriff said, sounding relieved to have interrupted their conversation. “Follow me, please.”

Jughead did so without comment, giving one more scathing look to the receptionist as he did. 

The Sheriff took him over to an interrogation room; the same one he had interrogated Jughead in merely a month ago. 

_ Time flies when you are investigating a murder.  _ Jughead thought grimly, taking the seat he had occupied during his last visit to this room. 

The Sheriff closed and locked the door behind him, further cementing the dismal feeling that Jughead was dealing with. 

For a moment, Sheriff Keller looked at Jughead sympathetically. 

“Jughead, I am sorry about your father…”

“Are you?” Jughead asked, his voice not quite being as malicious as he hoped. 

Sheriff Keller grimaced, but continued. 

“Now according to your father, you were not living with him at the time he committed the murder and he acted alone.”

_ At least sleeping at the drive in had one advantage.  _ Jughead thought, his bitterness consuming him at the moment. 

“But we at the Sheriff’s Department have to cover our bases. Make sure all the loose ends are tied up.”

Jughead nodded. 

_ Loose ends like me and my involvement.  _

“Do you remember seeing your dad the week of Jason’s murder?” Sheriff Keller asked, taking the seat in front of Jughead. 

Jughead tried to remember; the week of July 11th felt like a decade ago. He had already become so interested in the disappearance of Jason Blossom, that was what most of his focus was on. 

“No.” Jughead replied simply. 

“No you didn’t see him or you don’t remember seeing him?”

“I don’t remember seeing him.” Jughead clarified, irritatedly.

“What about the weeks following. Did his behavior seem different?” Sheriff Keller asked, moving up from his chair to pace around Jughead. 

“Not that I noticed.” Jughead replied annoyed by what he saw as a classic police maneuver. 

_ The Sheriff thought if he kept changing position, I would be intimidated in answering his questions _ . Jughead thought.  _ Too bad he is wasting his energy. I have nothing to hide.  _

“Had he ever spoken to you about a gun he kept in a lockbox?” Sheriff Keller asked, pausing to stare at Jughead. 

“No.” Jughead responded, trying to sound less annoyed this time “I wasn’t even aware he had a lock box.”

Sheriff Keller nodded as he continued to pace. 

“Did he ever speak to you about Jason?”

_ Are you serious?  _ Jughead thought, unable to contain his sarcasm any longer. 

“Did my father ever talk to me about the kid he murdered?” Jughead asked. “No.”

“Jughead, I am just trying to pull things together.” Sheriff Keller explained, trying to sound sympathetic.“ There are still some aspects of your father’s story that don’t make sense.” 

“Well, I can’t help you.” Jughead spit back, no longer restraining his annoyance. “I didn’t know anything about his involvement until last night when you arrested him.”

Sheriff Keller sighed, as he moved to sit back down in front of Jughead. 

“Jughead, I believe you had nothing to do with the murder but you must have known something. Fathers and sons have a special relationship.”

_ A special relationship? Is he actually serious right now? He can’t be. It is impossible for him to be that idiotic.  _

“Like where the father murders the captain of the football team and the son spends a semester investigating it?” Jughead responded, enraged malice fueling his every word. “Is that before or after the son has to spend months living at a drive-in because his father can barely keep it together long enough to notice his son is gone?”

Sheriff Keller winced at this.

“It might have escaped your notice Sheriff,...” Jughead said, moving into a standing position “but FP Jones isn’t exactly father of the year.” 

Jughead walked away from the table, moving to stand in front of the window that was providing none of the sunlight Jughead knew was just outside those doors. 

“So you can keep asking me questions, but at this point I don’t know any more about my father than you do.”

Sheriff Keller moved over towards Jughead slowly. 

“Why would your father want to kill Jason?”

“I don’t know.” Jughead answered through gritted teeth.  

“Do you think he did it for you?” Sheriff Keller asked. 

“For me?” Jughead turned to face the Sheriff. “You think my father committed murder as an act of fatherly love? Remind me to warn Kevin about Christmas this year.”

Jughead was about to return to staring out the window, when Sheriff Keller lunged forward, grabbing him by the shoulders. 

“Listen, boy.” Sheriff Keller started, moving away from Jughead to point at him “Your smart mouth and attitude are not going to get you out of here any faster.”

Jughead winced. Not because the Sheriff had physically hurt him, but because he had even lost the right to personal space in the eyes of this man.

Sheriff Keller took a few steps back and began to pace behind him. 

“Do you have any idea the damage your father’s actions have done?” Sheriff Keller asked “I know right now you are thinking it is all about you, but you have to see that what he did affects people. People you know and maybe even care about.”

Jughead turned to stare at the Sheriff, his annoyance fading away, shame taking its place. 

“A family has lost their son.” Sheriff Keller explained. “A girl has lost her brother.”

_ Cheryl.  _ Jughead thought, a pang of guilt reverberating through his chest.  _ It’s my father’s fault that the one person who unconditionally loved her is gone. _

“Another girl has lost the father of her unborn children.”

_ Polly.  _ Jughead realized, now needing to lean against the window for support.  _ It’s my father’s fault that her children will grow up without a dad. _

“So many people have been put through so much because your father murdered one of your classmates.”

_ Betty.  _ Jughead thought.  _ She wouldn’t have lost her sister for so long if Jason hadn’t died. All the hell of trying to find Polly and trying solve this murder would have been erased if my dad hadn’t been the horrible monster he turned out to be. _

_ Polly and Jason could have run away together. Polly could have sent Betty postcards letting her know she was safe. Months of mental torture would be gone. Betty could be happy now. She could be safe. She could walk through this town happily, unencumbered by the weight of all of the horrible things that have happened to the people around her. To her sister, her friend, to me.   _

Jughead felt himself on the verge of tears once again. 

_ My father graduated from causing me pain to destroying an entire town with one action. And if this interrogation proves anything, it is that I will never have to stop paying for it.  _

Sheriff Keller sighed in frustration.

_ I will always be the son of a killer, the son of a villain. How do I even begin to make amends? _

Moments of silence passed between them before Jughead reluctantly broke it. 

“He was pretty strung out the week of the 11th.” Jughead ended up confessing. “I saw him twice at the drive-in. I assumed he was loaded, but I don’t know, maybe there was something more to it. Guilt perhaps.”

Sheriff Keller stepped further away from Jughead, now leaning against the interrogation table. 

“And the gun?”

“I don’t know anything about the gun.” Jughead explained, tears welling up in his eyes. “He has a collection of knives from an old friend, but I’ve never seen…”

Jughead couldn’t finish his sentence. He lost the ability to form words. The sobs forming in his throat constricting all hope of saying anything meaningful. 

_ My dad is going to jail for murdering someone. Someone I knew. Someone I had classes with and who affected the lives of people around me.  _

Jughead felt the tears fall without his permission. He didn’t even bother to wipe them away, he knew more were going to keep coming.

Sheriff Keller looked at Jughead and seemed ashamed. 

“That’s enough for now, Jughead.” Sheriff Keller told him as he walked towards the door, unlocking it. “You should….you should go home.”

_ Home. What is home anymore? _

Jughead walked away from the window and out the door of the interrogation room, then the police station, prepared to walk aimlessly around Riverdale. 

He got no more than two steps away from the station when he saw it. The newspaper baring his father’s mugshot. An article titled Justice For Jason: Local Gang Member Confesses to the Murder of Jason Blossom Following Arrest.

Jughead sobbed now as he stared at the byline of the Riverdale Register. 

_ This isn’t justice.  _ Jughead realized, his feet forcing him to walk away from the paper.  _ No matter how long they convict him for, it will never make up for the pain he caused. Not to me, not to Betty, not to Polly and definitely not to Cheryl.  _

Jughead couldn’t stop picturing it. Cheryl Blossom at her brother’s memorial, unable to maintain her usual indomitable composure as she weeped on the casket of her brother. 

_ My father put him in that casket. My father took away the only person that Cheryl Blossom ever loved. The only person to ever love her. _

Jughead walked faster now, his eyes stinging from how much he was crying. 

_ Maybe it is justice.  _ Jughead realized, finally wiping away some of the fallen tears. _ My father is not the only one that will pay though. Cheryl lost the only person who loved her so I must lose one of the few people to love me. A different kind of justice.  _

As Jughead wiped his eyes, clearing them of the new set of tears, he looked up, not quite realizing where he had been travelling. Without real thought, Jughead had made the journey from the police station to right in front of Riverdale High School. 

_ I don’t deserve the peace of hiding.  _ Jughead determined as he walked up the stairs, into the school.  _ After what my father has done, I am the one who must bear the burden of his sins.  _

Jughead walked through the halls, realizing it must be lunch time by now. 

_ She has to know.  _ Jughead decided.  _ Cheryl needs to know how sorry I am. I don’t care what she does to me in retaliation. Whatever it is, I deserve it. _

Jughead opened the cafeteria doors, all noise ceasing at his arrival as he sought out Cheryl, surrounded by people comforting her. Cheryl’s devastation was clear even from across the room. Her pain radiated from her. Jughead wanted to take some of her pain away, no matter how. Even if it meant he had to suffer.  __

_ We deserve to suffer.  _


	56. Chapter 56

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x12: Betty and Jughead narrowing down the list of suspects in the Blue and Gold office

Jughead made it to Riverdale High in a huff. A walk that usually took him about 20 minutes, he had managed in 8. He desperately needed to talk to Betty. He needed to see her and share with her everything that had happened to him in the last few hours. 

He reached the Blue and Gold office to find Betty, staring at the murder board, the entirety of her focus on it. Jughead couldn’t stop himself from feeling elated just to look at her. 

_ She’s trying so hard to prove his innocence.  _ Jughead thought, finally able to feel gratitude for this rather than resentment.  _ How could I ever deserve the dedication she gives to everything she cares about? _

Jughead sighed, staring at her.  

“Betty.” Jughead simply stated, as he stood in the doorway. 

Betty felt her heart soar the second he called her name, but she didn’t want to lose focus. She turned to look at him, making sure her expression still remained focused.  

“Jughead, I’ve been staring at this board for the past few minutes and I think there are some suspects we can narrow it down….” Betty began

But she didn’t immediately continue as Jughead walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. 

It was the first time Jughead had let someone be willingly near him in hours. Holding Betty felt like the most natural thing in the world. For the first time since his father’s confession, Jughead felt grounded. Whole. Like nothing bad could happen as long as he was holding Betty in his arms.

Betty returned the hug, sinking into him. She had been longing for his arms ever since the dance. When she was terrified of losing him. Betty had forced herself not to think about it, but she been so worried that her omission had cost them what they had. But as she stood here, in his arms, she knew they could figure out everything. As long as they were together. 

“I’m so sorry.” Jughead whispered in her ear gently, his throat still thick from the unshed tears at the police station. 

Betty leaned her head against his neck, taking in his warmth and his clean scent.

“You don’t have to apologize.” Betty told him, not loosening her grip on him.

“Yes, I do.” Jughead told her, moving his head away to look at her. “I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at you. Your mom put you in an impossible situation.”

Betty nodded, closing her eyes.

“I should have told you.” Betty admitted, her eyes still closed and her throat constricting “I wanted to. I tried so many times.”

“Hey.” Jughead said, placing his hand on her face so that she was forced to look at him. “I believe you. And we can talk more about it later.”

Betty smiled weakly as she forced her watery eyes not to shed tears. 

“But right now, we gotta be crime solvers.” Betty said, sounding mildly disappointed.

Jughead smiled back. 

_ Who needs to be Romeo and Juliet when you can be Holmes and Watson? _  Jughead thought bitterly.

“Right.” Jughead said, letting her go reluctantly. 

“So what changed your mind? Betty asked, stepping away from him and returning her gaze to the murder board. “Why do you now think your dad is innocent?”

“My dad has been lying to me his whole life, but he’s never been any good at it. I saw it in his eyes. He didn’t do it.”

Jughead couldn’t explain the logic of it. A mere half an hour ago, he was convinced that his father must be guilty. With so much damning evidence against him and his father’s never ceasing ability to disappoint him, how else could he interpret what was happening? But that one look in his eyes; the look of shame and lying was one Jughead knew too well.He didn’t know why, but he knew in the same way he knew the first time; his father was not a murderer.  

“Well then, why lie?” Betty questioned, knowing that they would need more than just hers and Jughead’s certainty of his innocence to free him. “Who is he protecting?”

“I don’t know.” Jughead answered honestly, wiping some sleep out of his eyes. “He’s loyal to the Serpents, but I don’t think he would confess to a murder for any of them.”

Betty was suddenly struck with inspiration. 

_ Maybe he wouldn’t protect the Serpents with his livelihood. But if there is anything I know about FP, is that he loves his family, even if he isn’t the best at showing it.  _

“What?” Jughead asked, practically seeing the gears turning in Betty’s head. 

“Is there any way that you or your sister could be in perceived danger?” Betty asked, hoping this was not the case. 

“Maybe.” Jughead conceded, but it was not something he really believed would make a difference. “But not knowing who the murderer is really makes it difficult to lock down a motive.” 

They stood there in silence for a moment, the air thick with their endless thoughts.

Betty sighed, deciding she needed to fill Jughead in on what evidence she had gathered. 

“My dad stole the police evidence from Sheriff Keller.” Betty explained. 

“Wait, what?” Jughead asked, quickly turning to face her. 

“He broke into my house last night to destroy the evidence.” Betty explained, almost amused by the flabbergasted look on Jughead’s face. “Though why he didn’t do it months ago…”

“So is he a potential suspect?” Jughead asked cautiously. As much as he wanted the heat off his father, he was not quite ready to put his girlfriend’s father on the chopping block. 

“No.” Betty answered, hoping Jughead wasn’t too disappointed. “He stole the evidence because he didn’t want Sheriff Keller finding out about Polly or about the family connection to the Blossom family.”

Jughead stared at her for a moment.

_ This cannot possibly be about the murder plot from ages ago. I think everyone in town at this rate knows the Blossom Cooper murder feud.  _

“Distantly related to the Blossoms.” Betty hurriedly explained. “My great great grandfather was Cheryl’s great great grandfather.”

Jughead was momentarily stunned. 

“So the murder was between brothers.” Jughead pieced together. “And Polly’s babies…”

Jughead internally cringed.

“My dad didn’t want people to know.” Betty said, hoping that Jughead would understand.

“I can see why. That’s intense.” Jughead said, trying to avoid the creeped out feeling the situation was giving him.

They stood in silence for a moment, before Betty decided it was time to change the subject. 

“What we need to do is eliminate some of the suspect pool.” Betty told Jughead, refocusing her attention on the murder board. 

Jughead nodded, focusing on the murder board with Betty now. 

“Who can we rule out?” Jughead asked.

“My dad. We know why he was acting so shady.” Betty said, taking his picture off the murder board.

_ Yeah, nothing like covering up incest babies.  _ Jughead thought.

“Hermione.”

“Yeah” Jughead quietly agreed as Betty removed Hermione’s picture. 

“Veronica says she is guilty of plenty, but not murder.”

_ Like covering up illegally purchasing land and forging signatures.  _ Betty thought bitterly of her best friend’s mother.

“Plus, she has an alibi, she was in New York.” Betty continued, not letting the bitterness of thoughts distract from their goal. 

Jughead sighed as he looked at the names left on the board. 

“Reggie, because of our little adventure in Greendale we know he has an alibi.” Jughead said, walking over to the board to remove Reggie’s picture.

Betty nodded next to him as he moved over to another part of the board.  

“Geraldine Grundy, aka Jennifer Gibson.” Jughead grabbed her picture, ripping it off the board without removing the tack. 

“Who should definitely be incarcerated, but not for murder.” Betty agreed, wondering why they hadn’t taken her name off ages ago. 

“We also unfortunately know Jason wasn’t the student she was blasting on the 11th.” Jughead added, still incredibly grossed out by Archie’s interest in this woman.

Jughead handed the picture to Betty who crumbled it up instantly in her hand. 

“Yes, thank you Archie for your way too detailed alibi.” Betty said with a grimace, squeezing the paper as though it could affect the person it was a picture of.

There were so few names left on the board now. Almost all of their suspects gone. 

“What about Cheryl?” Betty asked, reaching over to hold the picture of her on the board between her fingers. 

“She didn’t do it.” Jughead said, conviction strong in his voice.

“We don’t have an alibi for her though.” Betty defended, though she didn’t honestly believe it was Cheryl either. “She wouldn’t give us one and no one knows where she was on the 11th.”

“The way she hit me, Betts.” Jughead explained, becoming quickly saddened again by the thought of Cheryl beating on him in the cafeteria. “I could feel just how much pain she was in. That level of devastation is not something you can fake.”

Betty felt her heart ache once again. 

“Juggie.” Betty said, putting her arm on Jughead’s shoulder. “We are gonna figure this out, for you and for Cheryl.”

Jughead nodded as she removed her hand.

“So I guess that just leaves Hiram Lodge…” Jughead began

“And Clifford and Penelope Blossom.” Betty finished

They stared at the board, each trying to come up with something to add. Jughead was certain that it wasn’t Cheryl, but he couldn’t convince himself to remove her name from the board. She seemed to be as stuck to it as her parents were. Parents that neither Betty nor Jughead could come up with a good argument for why they should be removed. 

“So you still think it was Cheryl’s mom?” Jughead questioned Betty.

Betty looked at him, surprised. 

“I never said…” Betty began, wondering how long Jughead has known her suspicions. 

“You didn’t have to.” Jughead said, smiling at her. “One of the wonderful things about you is your inability to conceal how you’re feeling.”

Betty smiled briefly before returning her gaze to the board. 

“She was just so cold and hated Cheryl for making a scene at the memorial.” Betty said, remembering just how menacing Penelope looked, even from a distance. “Not to mention, she was on a business trip that week, but no one knows where.”

Betty walked back over to the board and fixed her eyes on Penelope’s name.

“And Polly said she had the engagement ring. And now with the newest revelation that Polly’s babies are the product of incest, she would definitely want to cover that up.”

Jughead nodded. 

“It’s definitely still in the running.” Jughead admitted, though he was not convinced that it was her. 

“You still think it was someone Hiram hired?” Betty asked, turning around to face Jughead. 

“The motive is there, Betts.” Jughead said, beginning to pace in front of the board. “Hiram was thrown in jail because of the Blossoms. His life ruined because Clifford was tired of paying some fee to the Lodges.”

Betty nodded in agreement, but this theory only brought up more concerns. 

“So do you think it was another Serpent who pulled the trigger, Jug?” she asked, tentatively. 

“I don’t know.” Jughead admitted. “It might have been another Serpent. I don’t really know who else it could be.”

Betty sighed as she turned back around to look at a map placed on the board a couple weeks ago. 

“Veronica said that her father hired some gang members from Montreal to mess with the site and that they were the ones who beat up Moose.” Betty speculated. “Maybe Hiram Lodge hired one of them to kill Jason.”

Jughead grimaced at the suggestion. 

“But that’s impossible for us to trace.” Jughead concluded. “It’s not like we can go up to Montreal and ask around for shady french canadian thugs.”

Betty started to feel boxed in by the information they had to work with. All the evidence they had compiled over the last few weeks pointed almost equally to these three people. At this point, they needed more information. 

“Well, your dad was able to figure out it was them...maybe we could go to the Whyte Wyrm. Ask if anyone else has connections to the gang in Montreal.” Betty suggested, hoping this would at least give them something else to work with.

Jughead shook his head vigorously. 

“I’m not sure how welcomed we would be.” Jughead pointed out. “Not with my dad in jail.”

_ The Serpents definitely seem the type to abandon their own when things get tough.  _

Betty sighed in frustration. Jughead felt much the same way.

Now that they had it narrowed down to three people, it seemed impossible to pin down which one of the three it could possibly be.

They went back to staring at the murder board, feeling more hopeless as each second ticked by. 

It had felt like hours had gone by when they heard foreboding clicking of heels that could only mean one thing. 

Jughead felt a chill run down his spine as Betty’s mother walked into the Blue and Gold office. 

Betty grew instantly annoyed at her mother’s appearance. No matter what today’s discussion was, whether it be to cut ties with Jughead before he dragged her down or for her to stop playing detective in a solved case, Betty didn’t want to hear it. 

“Well, what do we have here? You two just can't leave well enough alone, can you?” Alice Cooper asked of them. 

Betty turned to face her mother, internally bracing herself for an argument. 

“Mom, we know what you're gonna say.” Betty started. Jughead turned to face Alice as well, though his survival instincts were advising against it. 

“The police found another dead body.” Alice reported in a nonchalant way. 

“Ok, maybe not that.” Jughead said, thinking aloud. 

“A Southside Serpent.” Alice declared. “And Sheriff Clueless is convinced he was working with your father.” 

Alice briefly pointed at Jughead. 

_ Oh great, she’s here to gloat.  _ Jughead thought as he leaned against the chair in front of him.  _ It’s bad enough that the town thinks he’s a murderer. Do I really need a giddy Alice Cooper rubbing it in my face? _

“He allegedly committed suicide by overdose, and there was a bag of money on site that links him to Hiram Lodge. Everything is tied up into a nice little bow.”

_ I guess if I get nothing else out of this, at least I will go down knowing I solved this murder mystery.  _ Jughead thought bitterly.  

“Too tidy, if you ask me.” Alice finished, her arms folded imposingly in front of them.

_ Wait, what?  _ Jughead and Betty both thought. 

_ Does this mean she is on our side?  _ Jughead contemplated. 

_ Is my mother actually thinking about this logically rather than editorially?  _ Betty speculated. 

Before they could ask any questions, Betty’s phone rang. 

Kevin Keller’s name flashed on her screen. 

She took a quick look at Jughead before answering. 

“Kevin?”

“Hey Betty, Joaquin gave me some information that could lead to a big clue in the case. He said it is on the lost exit, the same place Jason’s get away car was at.”

_ More information. Thank you, Joaquin!  _ Betty thought. 

“Ok, we will meet you there.” Betty said, hanging up her phone. “Kevin has a lead we need to check out.”

Jughead grabbed his phone from the table and started to head out.

“I come over here to tell you I am on your side and you are leaving for a lead?” Alice asked, a note of hostility in her voice. 

“Yes, Mom.” Betty said, trying to sound apologetic. “I will call you if it leads to something.”

Her mother sighed as the two of them ran out of the office.

“I can’t believe we just ditched your mother to chase down a lead.” Jughead said, almost amused as they reached the doors of the high school.

“She’ll understand. Especially if this lead points to the actual killer.” Betty said, pulling keys out of her purse. 

They rushed over to Betty’s father’s car and opened the doors. 

_ Please let this be something that can help FP.  _ Betty thought. 

_ Please let this be something _


	57. Chapter 57

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x12: Betty and Jughead make the car ride to the Lost exit.

Blurs of lights and trees flew by as Betty careened down the streets of Riverdale. The possibility of new evidence awaited them on the route 40 exit.

Jughead believed his dad didn’t kill Jason at this point, but even with this certainty in his mind, he clearly wasn’t feeling the same type of excitement Betty was at this lead that Kevin had.  

“So what exactly did Kevin say?” Jughead asked, wondering what kind of lead this was. 

“That Joaquin gave him some info that we needed to look into on the lost exit.” Betty explained, her eyes not leaving the road.

“What kind of info?” Jughead inquired.

“He didn’t say…” Betty admitted cautiously “but it must be something big if has to be hidden in the middle of nowhere.”

“Right.” Jughead agreed automatically, but he didn’t quite feel convicted in his agreement. 

Betty sighed exasperatedly, almost as though she could hear the doubts circling in Jughead’s brain. 

“It could be evidence of your father’s alibi.” Betty reasoned. “An alibi that might not shine him in the best light, but whatever else he might have done has to be better than murder. Or maybe somehow Joaquin has evidence on the real killer.”

“Or maybe it is just more evidence against him.” Jughead decided to share with her. 

Betty glanced at him mournfully as they pulled off the lost exit, clearly arriving before Kevin. 

Looking at the sign he and Betty had uncovered weeks ago during a downpour, Jughead’s sense of dread increased. The last time they were here, they had managed to uncover proof that Polly was telling the truth and present the possibility of more evidence in Jason Blossom’s murder. 

_ Only to have it torched.  _ Jughead thought bitterly.  _ All the effort it took to find it and all the answers it could have provided went up in flames. It seems unlikely that fortune can smile upon us twice and if it does, will the outcome be the same? _

_ Are we just doomed? Cursed to keep running in circles, trying to make an unfair world just? Are we just setting ourselves up to fail? _

They sat in silence for moment, Betty glanced around, probably looking to see if there was any sign of Kevin. 

Even amidst his self doubt, Jughead could see that Betty had something on her mind. He wanted to ask her, but he was afraid of the answer. No matter how ardently she worked, Jughead wouldn’t be surprised if the worried look on her face was the brief acknowledgement that his father could still be guilty. She wanted to believe the best in his father, but Jughead knew better than anybody how hard that could be. 

Betty took a deep breath as she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face him. 

“Juggie. I need you to know something.” she told him, looking scared but determined.

Jughead felt a strong sense of foreboding. He turned towards her, the look in her eyes almost scaring him.

_ What could this be? What would I need to know before we look at this evidence? Did Kevin briefly allude to something she hasn’t mentioned yet.  _

Jughead swallowed hard as he nodded for her to continue. 

“No matter what it is, evidence that helps or hurts your father’s case, I am going to be here for you.”

Jughead sighed, the tightening feeling that had taken hold of his chest lessening. 

“I know.” he replied simply, looking out the window to see if there was any sign of headlights. 

“I don’t think you do.” Betty told him, sounding almost angry. 

Her tone caused Jughead to snap his full attention back to her. 

“You have this habit of when things start falling apart, retreating into yourself, away from the people who care about you.” Betty explained. 

Betty sighed as she looked away, but continued to talk.

“And that’s fine for a moment, when you need time to adjust. But I need you to know that I am here. I am not going anywhere, Jug. You are not getting rid of me no matter how hard you try.”

Jughead sighed as he cast his gaze down to his shoes. 

_ It’s easy to say those things, now when you don’t know what is going to happen in the next ten to fifteen minutes. Whatever is out there could be damning to my dad, and then what happens?   _

“Can you really promise that?” Jughead heard himself say, weakly. “Without knowing what we are going to find?”

Jughead managed to make himself look up and stare Betty for a moment.

“I don’t believe my father did it, but if all the evidence points in his direction, he is lost.” Jughead explained to her, reaching out to hold her hand. “Whether or not he killed Jason, my father will be a murderer in the eyes of this town. I will be the son of the man who stole Riverdale’s innocence. Doors will be slammed in my face, I will be shunned by everyone, your family included.”

Betty winced at this, but Jughead could tell she believed it. 

“An entire town would be against us being together. Can you really tell me that wouldn’t change things between us?”

“Yes.” Betty told him, not hesitating for even a moment. “I’m not giving up on your dad, Jug. I will believe he is innocent until I can prove otherwise.”

_ The proving otherwise is what I am afraid of.  _ Jughead thought. 

“And even if he isn’t,” Betty began, once again giving Jughead the impression that she could read his mind. “I am going to be with you through it all.”

“Betty…” Jughead started, though not sure what else he would say to her. 

“If you are shunned by this town, then I will be too. When everyone else gives up on you, including you, I am going to be there, Jug.” Betty told him, gripping his hand tighter than before.

Jughead looked at her, all the loving feelings he had felt the night before rushing back to him. Her determination, even blind determination, was one of the things he thought he loved most about her. 

He wanted to believe her. More than anything, he wanted to hear her words and have them puncture the years of doubt and inadequacy. He wished he could hear her say how much she wanted to stand by him and not have doubt that it was true. That she could stay with him and be happy and hold onto him as he walked through life as an outcast. But if Jughead’s life had taught him anything, it is that there comes a point for everyone that he loves where he ceases to be enough for them. No matter who or when, the time comes where he loses them because he wasn’t what they needed him to be. He was too jaded to recover from his parents’ failures with his mother, too noble to descend into the abyss with his father, too attached to his name for the good people of Riverdale like Fred Andrews. He had nothing to offer to keep them in his life.   

_ The world wants to take everything away from me. But not you, Betty. _

_ At least, not for now.  _

He looked at Betty, the hope in her eyes almost breaking through to him.  __

“It’s not a lot.” Betty said, suddenly looking away from him ashamed.

She started to pull her hand away when Jughead gripped tighter. 

“It’s everything.” Jughead told her, declarations of love screaming inside his head. 

_ It’s everything that you want to be there. It is enough for me. More than I deserve. _

Without letting go of her hand, he cupped her cheek with his other hand. 

_ Betty Cooper, I love you enough to risk being destroyed by you. _

Jughead leaned in, pressing his lips against hers.

Betty returned the kiss with equal passion. Jughead could feel all the nagging doubts in his mind mute momentarily, getting lost in the euphoric feeling of her lips against his. He felt her fingertips graze his neck and he just wanted to forget about the world around them. Obliterate all thoughts of his father and his troubles and just be with this girl who wanted to be there for him so badly. 

_ I have to hold on.  _ Jughead thought, as Betty moved closer to him.  _ Keep her by my side for as long as I am able.  _

Jughead let go of Betty’s hand, moving so he could wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her even closer. Betty used her now free hand to caress his cheek making Jughead completely forget where they were.    

Just as Jughead was giving in to the bliss of the moment, headlights illuminated the dark exit, breaking the two of them apart instantly.

_ Right. Murder investigation. Here for a murder investigation.  _

Betty and Jughead both sighed frustratedly as they got out of the car. They were shutting the doors as Kevin turned off the ignition and got out of his father’s truck. 

They kept their distance as they walked over to the truck, flashlights in hand as Kevin looking as though he were holding back tears as he stepped out of the truck.

_ Oh God. Why does Kevin look so upset?  _ Jughead wondered, despite internal protestations that he shouldn’t care. 

Betty walked over to Kevin, placing a hand on his arm, the concern in her eyes shining through. 

“Kevin, what’s going on? Where’s Joaquin?” Betty asked. 

Kevin took a deep breath before answering. 

“Gone.” Kevin said, his voice choking up a bit. “He had to go on the run so that his part in Jason’s murder didn’t get discovered.”

“His part?” Jughead asked. 

_ What does Joaquin have anything to do with this? _

Kevin cleared his throat before continuing. 

“Joaquin was called by your dad after Jason was dead.” Kevin explained, pulling a sheet of paper out his pocket. “He helped your father dispose of the body. Taking it from the basement of the Whyte Wyrm to Sweetwater River.”

Jughead clasped his hand to his mouth, the sinking feeling of despair returning in an instant. 

_ Disposing of a body doesn’t exactly scream ‘innocent guy’. _

“He helped dispose…?” Betty asked, sounding as confused as Jughead was feeling. “What does that mean?”

“Joaquin didn’t know who killed Jason.” Kevin explained. “He assumed it was your dad because of the request for help and tasking him to keep an eye on me.”

_ Wait, my dad did what? _

“An eye on you?” Jughead asked. 

“Oh yeah, the cherry on top of the sundae: my boyfriend was only dating me because his gang superior needed eyes on what the Sheriff was up to.” Kevin explained, sounding both annoyed and upset. 

_ Oh damn.  _ Jughead thought.  _ Being used by someone you care about because of who your father is. Poor Kevin.  _

“Although, he ended up spending more time spying on us than my dad, he admitted.” Kevin added with bitter amusement. “He said we seemed to know more about what was happening than my dad, which I guess was true. At least I turned out to be a good mark for him.”

Kevin sighed, glancing off in the distance. 

Jughead felt so terrible for Kevin at this moment. It might not have been the romance of the century, but Kevin really seemed to care about Joaquin. And it was all a lie. Or at the very least it was all built on a lie.  

“Kev, I’m sorry.” Jughead said, quickly patting Kevin on the shoulder, not sure what else to do or to say to him.  

“Yeah I am still processing all of that.” Kevin continued, clearly trying to put his feelings aside for the moment. “But it is not the point. He gave me this map…”

Jughead shined his flashlight on the map, the exit circled on it with handwritten instructions underneath. 

“He was saying that there was something out here that could help us figure things out. That he stashed it near some sign.”

“The maple syrup sign” Bety realized.

Jughead nodded in agreement.  

“Let’s take a look.” Jughead said, walking through the trees he knew lead to a clearing. 

Betty and Kevin followed as they all walked towards the sign. 

“Whatever it is we're looking for, Joaquin didn't know if it would help your dad or make things worse.” Kevin explained. 

“I guess we're gonna find out.” Betty added, clearly annoyed at Joaquin in her protectiveness of Kevin. “Why did he wait so long to tell us?”

“FP called him from jail.” Kevin explained, as they rounded the corner of the trees, walking towards the broken down tractor Jughead remembered seeing last time. “He told him to forget about their plan. Some contingency plan. He said it was too dangerous.”

_ Too dangerous? A contingency plan?  _ Jughead speculated.  _ A backup in case their current method of hiding what they did failed? Was it blackmail? Damning in a different way? _

Before Jughead could speculate further, they were standing in front of the maple syrup sign. 

“Deja Vu.” Jughead said, remembering the first time he and Betty had stood beneath the sign. 

The three of them fanned out, looking through the branches and brush, trying to see if there was anything out of the ordinary to spot.

It didn’t take Jughead more than a few seconds to see a spot of blue amongst the rubbish. 

“Hey. Right here.” Jughead called out to Kevin and Betty.

The two of them walked towards Jughead, as he managed to pull the item from the brush. It was a blue duffel bag that Jughead immediately recognized as belonging to his dad.

_ He’s definitely connected to this evidence.  _ Jughead concluded begrudgingly.  

He opened the duffel bag to see Jason’s lettermen jacket, the blue and gold jacket shining even without flashlights on it, Jason’s name embroidered on it. 

“I thought that went up in flames when the car was torched?” Betty said, reaching towards the jacket, lifting up one of the sleeves.

“Apparently not.” Jughead said, looking at the back of the jacket, wondering how a jacket could be a contingency plan. 

Kevin had squeezed in, also staring at the jacket.

They all squinted at it, not able to see anything damning or incriminating about it in the darkness of the woods. 

“This is pointless.” Jughead concluded, shoving the jacket back into the duffel bag. “It is too dark to be able to see anything.”

Betty and Kevin nodded, agreeing. 

“Then let’s head back to town.” Kevin suggested. “I’ll text Archie and Veronica and see if they want to help us figure things out.” 

“Ok.” Betty agreed, reaching into her coat pocket. “Jughead, you drive. I want to take a look at it in the car, see if there is something obvious before we rope in the whole gang.” 

Jughead nodded as she handed him the keys and they all headed back to the cars.

As they opened the doors to Betty’s father’s car, Kevin shouted back to them from the truck. 

“Archie replied.” Kevin told them. “He said his dad’s not home and we can investigate in his garage.”

The two of them nodded, getting into the car and shutting the door. 

Jughead and Betty buckled their seatbelts as they started the drive back to Archie’s.

Betty’s focus was primarily on the jacket; Jughead’s on what the jacket meant. 

_ This doesn’t feel like proof of innocence.  _ Jughead thought, pulling onto the highway.  _ I don’t know what this could honestly be.  _

But he looked over at Betty briefly, her attention completely captivated by this new evidence. 

Jughead smiled weakly. 

_ If nothing else, she was determined right up until the end.  _ Jughead thought.

“Hey Betty?” Jughead started, despite himself.

Betty looked as though she was pulled away from the most captivating story as she looked up and over at Jughead.  

“Are you still on Team Sinking Ship?” Jughead asked, trying to sound as though he were making a joke.

_ But I need to know.  _ Jughead realized.  _ Now that the evidence is real and tangible I need to know that she is still here with me.  _

“Of course.” Betty replied, almost as though she thought the answer should be obvious as she returned her attention to the jacket “I’m with you, Jughead Jones.”

_ I hope so Betty Cooper, because right now I need you to be more than ever _


	58. Chapter 58

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1x12: Jughead and the gang watch as Jason Blossom’s killer is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. 
> 
> I know it has been awhile since I have updated. There have been a few factors contributing to this that I won't bore you with, but I am back with the final few chapters of this fic. I have every intention of finishing this before the new year. And then the start of season 2 where the real work begins.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I know the wait has been long, but I wanted it to be something I was proud of rather than something I cranked out to keep on schedule. It is not the most traditional Bughead chapter, though they are definitely an important part of it. I really wanted to focus this chapter on not just Bughead, but the relationship of these five characters. 
> 
> Happy reading!

Every muscle in Jughead’s body was tense. All of the tension in his life seem to be building up to this moment. Betty had just found a flash drive in the lining of Jason Blossom’s varsity jacket. A flashdrive, they all assumed, that could definitively prove who killed Jason. 

Jughead didn’t know how what was on this flash drive could exonerate his dad, but if his dad was so insistent on keeping it around, it must be for a reason.

_ My dad is many things, but not an idiot. He called it a contingency plan. But what secrets could this flash drive hide? _

Jughead, Archie, Betty, Veronica and Kevin all sat down on the beat up old couch in Archie’s garage. The couch creaked with the sudden weight of all of them on it, adding to the ominous feeling in the room. 

No one said a word as Betty put the flash drive into Jughead’s laptop. Seconds after inserting it, a folder with a single file appeared on the screen. Betty clicked on it, revealing itself to be a black and white video.

Jughead gulped. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. Receipts, witness statements. But a video? A damning video? 

_ What is this going to show? An alibi for my dad? Or is it…? _

Jughead’s brain seemed to be catching up to the events around. If there is a video, a video that could prove his father’s innocence, it could only be of one thing. 

_ No. It can’t be.  _ Jughead pleaded in his mind.  _ I am not sure I am ready to see this.  _

The black and white video showed a room that Jughead had never seen before. A room where a still living Jason Blossom sat, tied to a chair and being taunted by a Serpent that Jughead didn’t know. 

_ So did this Serpent kill him? Is this what we are about to witness? _

Just as Jughead was considering this, the Serpent walked away, a malicious laugh still etched on his face. The room didn’t stay empty for long though, as the door swung open and an unexpected person walked into the room

_ Clifford Blossom? Jason’s father?  _ Jughead questioned. In all their musings of who could have killed Jason, he was never the one Jughead actually considered.

_ This can’t be true.  _

“Oh my God.” Veronica stated, clearly as confused about this as Jughead was. 

The gang sat there, watching as Clifford took a diamond ring out of Jason’s shirt pocket. Clifford quickly pocketed the ring and turned away from his son. The garage breathed a brief sigh of relief.

_ There’s more to the story. There must be. Something that we don’t know yet. _

But as quickly as Clifford turned away, his focus returned to his son. He pointed a gun straight at Jason’s head and fired, instantly killing the kid. 

The gang jumped back. A quick intake of breath as most of them covered their mouths in horror, Jughead included.

Horror struck. Jughead found himself horror struck by what he had just witnessed.  

_ Clifford Blossom killed Jason Blossom. The richest man in town killed the golden boy of Riverdale High. A father murdered his child.  _

“Oh my God.” Veronica said once again, this time her voice filled with anguish. 

Jughead wasn’t sure how to feel in the moment. He wanted to feel relieved. He wanted to have this discovery wash away all the pain and doubt of the last few days of his life. But watching a man murder his son does not make those feelings easy to come by. 

Jughead couldn’t stop staring at the screen, his eyes fixed on the smoking gun in Clifford Blossom’s hand. There was a ruthless look in Clifford’s eyes as he watched the blood pour from his son. Jughead felt alone, even though he was surrounded by his friends. He felt as though he was the only one watching these events unfold. Then Clifford adjusted the gun in his hand, although he was preparing for second shot.

_ But that doesn’t make sense. Jason was only shot once in the head and he is clearly dead now. What is Clifford doing? _

He watched as Clifford’s focus diverted from the corpse of Jason Blossom to the camera on the wall. To Jughead. 

Jughead felt fear creep into him, terrified to see the gun pointing at him. He couldn’t move as Clifford, cold and unfeeling, stared Jughead down and fired the gun. 

Jughead screamed as he suddenly rose from the air mattress in Archie’s bedroom. He clutched his heart and took a sharp intake of breath, still feeling the terror of the last few minutes in his mind. 

_ It was a dream.  _ Jughead said, trying to calm himself down as his heart continued to race.  _ Clifford Blossom didn’t try to kill you. It was all a dream.  _

Then Jughead remembered the events of that night all over again.  

_ Well, not all a dream. Clifford did kill his son. I watched it happen. We all did.  _

Jughead looked around the room, surprised that Archie hadn’t looked over when Jughead had suddenly awoken. But Archie was not in his bed. 

_ Where is he?  _ Jughead wondered, as he moved to stand up. He saw no sign of Archie in the hallway. The door to the bathroom was wide open. Wherever he was, he wasn’t upstairs. 

Jughead hated how vulnerable he felt in that moment. He knew that it was just a dream, but the look of hate in Clifford’s eyes was haunting him. As much as he wanted to get past it, he wasn’t sure he could get back to sleep after feeling that kind of terror. 

He looked out the window in Archie’s bedroom, hoping the sight of Betty’s darkened bedroom window would comfort him as it usually did. But the room wasn’t dark. Jughead could see Betty, in her pajamas typing away on her computer. 

Jughead grabbed his phone off the table and dialed, needing to know if this was keeping her awake too. Betty glanced at her phone and looked confused. 

“Jughead?” Betty asked, sounding more exhausted than she looked. 

“I saw your light on.” Jughead said, positioning himself in front of the window. “Thought I would check in.”

“What time is it?” Betty asked, glancing around her room for a clock. 

Jughead glanced at his watch on Archie’s nightstand. 

“4:26”

“I didn’t realize it was so late.” Betty said, glancing around her bedroom. “Veronica, Kevin and I are supposed to be having a sleepover, but they both left the room ages ago.”

She sat back in the chair, looking defeated.

“Dammit, I can’t believe I got so distracted.” Betty said, a look of annoyance coming across her face. “I told them I was only going to work for a few minutes.”

Jughead felt himself growing concerned. She had lost track of time. Hadn’t noticed her friends disappearance. And now she was chastising herself for it.  

“Is everything ok, Betts?” Jughead asked, scooting closer to the window, hoping to get a better look at her face.

Betty glanced out the window briefly, before sitting up straighter. 

“Of course.” Betty replied, intentionally adding a chipper note to her voice. “Though I am wondering if my determination to get this article done for the Blue and Gold turned my friends away.”

“I’m sure they understand.” Jughead tried to tell her, but she had pulled her phone away from her ear as she looked around the room once again.  

Jughead stared at Betty as she exited the room and he heard her walk down the stairs.

“They’re not here.” Betty said, sounding upset. “They left without telling me.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.” Jughead tried to reassure her, grabbing his hat from the nightstand and venturing down the stairs of the Andrews house to find Archie and maybe a late night snack. 

He stood at the bottom of the stairs and surveyed the living area. 

“Archie’s gone too. Maybe we just drive people away.” Jughead joked, hoping that it would make Betty feel better.

He could practically hear Betty grimacing as he made it to the kitchen.

“It’s ok, Betty.” Jughead continued, realizing now was not the time for humor. “Archie and Veronica are probably just…” 

Jughead stopped himself mid sentence. He had told both Archie and Veronica that he wouldn’t tell Betty about what was happening with the two of them. Whatever was happening with the two of them. If Jughead had to guess, he would assume the two of them were off somewhere making out, using the adrenaline of the night to fuel their passion. 

“It doesn’t make sense, though.” Betty said, the chipper note that had been her voice earlier, gone. “Kevin and Veronica both said they didn’t want to be alone tonight and then they left? Leaving me alone?”

“Hey, Betts.” Jughead started, but he could tell Betty wasn’t finished. 

“I know I have been busy working on this article and helping Polly look for double strollers online, but why would they just leave?” Betty questioned, talking quicker than usual. 

“Betty…” Jughead started once again.

“Maybe they thought I was callous for bringing up our history homework due on Wednesday.” Betty continued, sounding more panicked now “I know it seems like forever away, but it is really not and if we are going to work on it together, what better time than a sleepover and…”

“Betty!” Jughead shouted. “Can I see you?”

“What?” Betty asked, sounding out of breath and confused by his suggestion. 

“Can I see you?” Jughead asked again, hoping he didn’t sound too desperate. “I didn’t just call to check in. I really needed to talk to you.”

There was a pause on Betty’s side. 

“Alright.” Betty said, her voice smaller than before. “Meet in Archie’s garage in about five minutes.”

“Ok.” Jughead agreed, hanging up the phone.    

Five minutes later, Betty Cooper walked into Archie’s garage, and Jughead could see just how tired she was. 

_ She’s just working this hard to avoid dealing with this. This thing that woke me, Jughead Jones, from a solid sleep.  _

They didn’t need to say the words. As soon as they were together, it was clear that both of them needed the other to be there. Jughead moved without thinking, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. 

At first, she seemed unmovable. Briefly patting his back, expecting the hug to end quickly. But Jughead didn’t want to let go. Holding her made the weight of the world fade. And soon enough, Betty was sinking into their hug as well. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, as though she feared what letting go of him could mean. And then her heard her sob.

Jughead felt his own heart break as he held Betty, who had clearly been trying to be strong through all of this. Just as he was trying to be. But now, in the dead of night, neither wanted to pretend. 

“I can’t believe it Jug.” Betty said, her voice breaking. “How could he?”

She didn’t need to explain. It was the question that Jughead hadn’t stopped asking himself in hours. How could Clifford Blossom murder his son?

“I don’t know.” Jughead replied, a tear quickly escaping from his eye. 

“And then to go back to everyday like everything was fine. How could he?” Betty continued, wiping tears away her eyes. 

Jughead shook his head, not sure he could even fathom what the answer would be. 

Betty broke away and looked at Jughead. Her eyes filled with such despair and confusion. Eyes that Jughead was sure matched his own. 

“How can we?” Betty asked, looking surprised at her own emotion.

_ How can we move on? How can we go back to the way things were before we knew? _

Jughead hated himself for his lack of answers to that question.  

“I don’t know. I guess we have to try.” Jughead grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the couch. “We did what we set out to do. We just didn’t think of how it would change us when it did.”

Betty nodded, wiping away more of her tears.

They sat there for a moment, staring at their entwined hands, one of their first times holding hands since everything at Homecoming. It seemed important that it was now, when they were alone and grieving. It seemed to signal to Jughead that their strength lay within each other. 

Betty cleared her throat, not taking her eyes off their hands.  

“I thought I had dealt with the idea of Jason being dead.” Betty started, her voice still sounding broken “I never really knew him, outside of the couple of times I talked to him for Polly’s sake.”

Jughead nodded. 

“His death was sad, but it didn’t really mean anything to me?” Betty explained, clearly surprised to realize this. 

“At least you have the pleasant memories of conversations.” Jughead told her as he rubbed his thumb against the scars on her hands. “He never directly bullied me, but he wasn’t exactly putting the rest of the football and swimming jocks in their place when they did. I didn’t think I cared about him at all.”

Betty looked away from their hands to look at him, Jughead unable to meet her eye. 

“But watching his life end.” Jughead started, breaking his hand hold to remove his hat. 

“Watching his father kill him.” Betty said as Jughead leaned against the couch, reaching over to pull Betty close to him. “It is heartbreaking.” 

“It humanizes him in a way his life never did.” Jughead concluded, a sad fact he hadn’t realized before. Jason Blossom had always been a concept to him before tonight. But watching him die made him a person. 

Jughead gripped her hand tightly. Watching Betty closely as she tried to stifle the tears. He didn’t want her to cry, so he decided to explain what brought him here.  

“I had a nightmare.” Jughead told her, watching as Betty’s eyes widened “That Clifford wanted me dead too.”

Betty gulped as she squeezed on Jughead’s hand. 

“Because he did.” Betty said, matter of factly “At least as a means to manipulate your dad.” 

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Jughead realized. They had heard the story once everyone knew about the flash drive, that Clifford got to FP before Keller and made his threats. But so much had happened to them in the past few hours, it was the last thing on Jughead’s mind. 

“Makes sense that my subconscious would jump to that conclusion.” he concluded, hoping that he sounded nonchalant rather than shaken. 

Betty gasped as she squeezed Jughead’s hand tighter. 

“Jughead, what if he had tried to hurt you?” Betty said, suddenly panicked. “What if your father refused to help him?”

_ Then I guess I would be dead.  _ Jughead thought passively. _ And way worse off than Jason Blossom was. I can’t imagine Clifford Blossom would task a clean up crew for my corpse. _

“Juggie, what if I had lost you?” Betty said, leaning her head against Jughead’s shoulder as tears spilled from her eyes.

Jughead felt uncomfortable and his throat became thick. Betty Cooper was sitting here upset at the idea of losing him. Something about it just didn’t seem right.

_ She shouldn’t worry about me. I can’t believe she is so worried about me. _

“You can’t think like that.” Jughead told her, moving his hands so he could wrap his arm around her, try to console her. “He didn’t even come close to attacking me.”

Betty nodded, seeming comforted by Jughead’s arm around her. 

“Thanks to your dad.” Betty said, wiping the tears away hastily. 

“Yeah.” Jughead responded, blandly. 

_ He came through. One of the few times in my life that has been the case. It took someone actually threatening my life for my father to step up. To put me above himself.  _

_ Better late than never, I suppose.  _ Jughead decided. 

“Have you seen him?” Betty asked. “Since the flash drive?”

“No.” Jughead told her, annoyed. “Sheriff Keller wouldn’t let me. Said that there needed to be further reviewing of the evidence before visitors could be allowed.”

Betty sat up, her expression changing. 

“It’s insane that he wasn’t released. He didn’t do anything.” Betty started angrily. 

“He covered up a murder.” Jughead said, harshly. “Better than pulling the trigger, but how of much a difference does that make in the eyes of the law?”

Betty shook her head. 

“It should make a difference.”

“It might still.” Jughead said, trying to sound more hopeful than he actually was. “But even if it doesn’t, I want to try again. I want to try to have a better relationship with him.”

Betty smiled at him weakly.

“That’s great, Juggie.” Betty said, sounding less angry now.

“Maybe we can go visit him together sometime.” Jughead said, but then immediately regretted. “Unless you don’t want to.”

Betty looked almost hopeful at the suggestion. 

“Of course I want to, Jug.” Betty told him, determined. “He needs your support. And you both need mine.”

Jughead felt his heart fill with joy. He wasn’t quite ready to smile yet, but having Betty there, supporting him, made it all feel a little less hectic.

He grabbed her chin, tilting it upward. Their lips touched briefly, Jughead preparing to lose himself in this moment with Betty. 

There was a sudden cracking of the garage door, causing Betty and Jughead to jump away from each other and into a standing position. 

Archie and Veronica were walking in, Archie in his workout gear. 

“What are you doing here?” Archie asked, seeing the two of them standing there. 

“Couldn’t sleep.” Betty said, sounding as though she were embarrassed. 

“Me either.” Veronica agreed.

“I decided to go for a run, clear my head.” Archie said, gesturing outside.

_ Archie, how are you so bad at lying?  _ Jughead wondered, looking from Veronica to Betty, trying to figure out if Betty suspected them of being together.  

“And you went with him, V?” Betty asked, sounding skeptical. 

“Hardly.” Veronica added. “I was sitting on the steps in front of your house when he jogged by for the fourth time, was it?”

Archie nodded a bit too vehemently. 

_ At least Veronica is good at coming up with convincing lies. Take a lesson, Arch.  _

“Anyway, he decided to make it a walk for the fifth round, and we walked around the block. Trying to make sense of it all.” Veronica explained. 

“I don’t really know that there is a way that this does make sense.” Jughead added, sitting back on the couch, resting his right arm on the edge of the couch. 

“I was beginning to think my father was a monster.” Veronica started, sitting in the couch next to Jughead. “But I can’t imagine him ever trying to kill me.” 

Veronica shook her as though she were trying to shake the thoughts away. 

“Every time I stop thinking for more than a minute, the image of Clifford Blossom pulling the trigger creeps in.” Veronica explains, sounding upset “I had dinner with that man. I slept in his house. I had no idea what he was capable of.”

“None of us did, V.” Betty said, dropping down to the floor in front of Jughead to look at Veronica. “We hadn’t ruled him out as a suspect, but neither Jughead nor I really thought he could have been the one.”

Veronica nodded as she reached out to hold Betty’s hand. 

Archie sat down on the other side of Veronica, his eyes downcast. 

The garage door creaked once again, causing all of them to gasp when Kevin walked in, carrying takeout bags from Pop’s.

“Saw the light on, I figured you guys would be here.” he said, dropping the food onto the table in front of them. 

“You went to Pop’s?” Betty asked, grabbing a bag and handing it to Jughead without question.

Kevin nodded as he started distributing bags. 

“Bad habit from my pre-adolescent years. When things get stressful, I eat. When I can’t sleep, I eat.” Kevin said, sounding ashamed. “I’ve been trying to replace eating with exercising, but I don’t think that is going to work for tonight.”

_ Eating as a coping mechanism. A Kevin I can get on board with.  _ Jughead thought as he grabbed a burger and began eating it without question. 

Kevin handed bags over to Archie and Veronica, before sitting on the floor next to Betty. 

“You guys couldn’t sleep either?” he said, grabbing an fry from one of the bags. 

“We’re all too…” Veronica began, but stopped as though she couldn’t figure out the word.

“Haunted.” Jughead finished without question. “Clifford Blossom invaded my dreams.”

“At least you had the chance to dream.” Veronica said, grabbing an onion ring for herself. “Everytime I close my eyes, they start filling up with tears and I just start crying. For this guy I never even knew.” 

Kevin stared off in the distance. 

“I didn’t think it could get worse than seeing his rotting corpse in the water.” Kevin said, sounding almost angry. “But watching the life bleed out of him. The guy who once stole all of my clothes before shoving me in my gym locker.”

Everyone stared at Kevin, his eyes flashing with both anger and sadness.

“I thought I hated him. Not enough to see him multiple kinds of dead.” Kevin concluded, taking an almost vicious bite out of one of the burgers he brought. 

_ I hadn’t considered that.  _ Jughead realized, almost upset with himself for not realizing before. _ Kevin’s seen both sides of the tale now. The death, then the corpse.  _

“I’m sorry, Kevin.” Jughead added, patting Kevin on the shoulder. “I wish you hadn’t had to have seen it.”

Kevin shook his head.

“I had to though.” Kevin said, stalwartly. “I had to know. His death changed everything. For all of us.” Kevin shoved a mozzarella stick in his mouth. “I just don’t know how I’ll ever sleep again.”

“I don’t know how any of us will.” Archie added. “I’ve been compared to Jason for most of my life. He was always the one to beat. The guy who could do no wrong. Thinking about him, like that, it makes me want to run away.”

Jughead understood. He wasn’t sure what he wanted. Jughead was glad he knew the truth, but it seemed that the truth cost them all something. A little bit of humanity ached for the loss of this guy they all had their own issues with. 

“How will we move on?” Jughead asked his friends.

“How will we ever think about anything else?” Kevin asked.

“How will we ever sleep again?” Veronica added. 

They all looked to each other, as though each of them expected one of the others to answer. But none of them had any idea. 

The five of them sat there, thinking. Jughead could practically hear the gears turning in all their minds. 

_ We’re all so tired and worn out just from the last few days of our lives. Getting through this seems impossible.  _

“Together.” Betty suddenly said, leaning her body against Jughead’s legs. 

Jughead and Archie both leaned forward, as though they wanted to hear Betty more clearly. 

“We will move on together.”

Betty grasped both Veronica and Kevin’s hands, smiling at them as she did. 

“We will think about other things together.” Betty continued, looking over at Archie and Jughead. “We will talk about other things together.”

“We will sleep together?” Kevin questioned, sounding horrified.

The room burst into laughter at that suggestion. More than their normal laughter. All of them had been taken so off guard by the less than stellar joke, that it seemed so much funnier than it actually was. They all practically cackled. Veronica’s eyes began tearing up as Archie turned incredibly red. Kevin and Betty had leaned into each other as Jughead clutched his stomach from laughing so hard. It was the first time any of them had laughed since the homecoming dance. 

“Let’s put that idea on reserve for now.” Jughead replied breathly, unable to keep a straight face as he did. 

“I feel like Cheryl would never forgive us if she wasn’t invited to the friendship orgy.” Veronica said, thoroughly amused at the idea of it. 

“I’m gonna need to invite at least a bi guy or something. Just to even up the numbers.” Kevin said, putting the bag of food back on the table and holding onto his knees.

“I’m sure Moose would love to see his phone flash with your number, Kev.” Veronica retorted.

“Wait, Moose is bi?” Archie questioned, his skin fading back to his normal shade.

“You didn’t know?” Veronica asked, almost innocently as Kevin scowled at her.

“Why would I know?” Archie asked. “He’s been dating Midge since 3rd grade and it’s not like I go around asking people their sexual orientation.”

“So Archie, do you think you can ship Karmaduke?” Veronica asked, looking interested in Archie’s response.

“I, what?” Archie asked, baffled.

“Moose’s real name is Marmaduke. Combined with Kevin’s name is…” Betty started, but was cut off by Kevin. 

“There has got to be something better than Karmaduke.” Kevin reasoned. 

“Like literally any other amalgamation of your names” Jughead chimed in, amused.   

The five of them continued talking. They went from ship names, to impersonations of people like Reggie Mantle, to speculating what might be on their geography quiz next friday. 

Before Jughead realized it, they were all slowly condensing together on the couch, getting more and more sleepy as time went on. Betty and Kevin had already fallen asleep against his legs and Archie and Veronica began to nod off, their hands inches away from each other as Archie continued talking about his newest song. Jughead finally felt the relief he had been expecting to feel when they discovered who Jason’s killer was. Sitting here, with Betty and with his friends, he knew that somehow together they would be able to figure this out. 

_ Betty’s right. Everything works when we’re together. _


	59. Chapter 59

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x13: Jughead and Veronica receiving the news about Betty’s locker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said I wanted to have this fic finished by the end of the year and that is still the goal, but I severely underestimated how little time I was going to have over the holidays to write. So here is the newest chapter to tide you guys over. I hope to get the last one out within the next couple days, but we will see how things go. Enjoy!

"Guys, hurry. It's Betty's locker! Come on, it's bad. ”

Jughead didn’t need to be told twice. The look of complete terror in Kevin’s face completely erased all other thoughts as he sprung up from his cafeteria table and sped off towards the hallway. 

_ What could possibly cause that level of terror from Kevin? As overdramatic as he tends to be, his protectiveness of Betty is never out of control. _

The hallway was crowded. More crowded than it usually was, Jughead realized. And unlike the usual angst and teenage strife that usually plagued the hallways, the feeling amongst the crowd was of general shock and caution. All of them seemed to be gathered around one general area, the scene of the crime.   

_ What the hell could this be?  _ Jughead wondered, deciding to quickly make his way to the center of the crowd. 

Jughead pushed his way through the crowd, his eyes immediately locking on Betty. He could see the tears shining in her eyes even from a distance. He didn’t need to see what it was to know it was terrible.  

People were pulling out their cameras, taking pictures of where Betty’s focus was, on her locker. The flashing lights and Betty’s unbreaking stare made him look in that direction for the first time. 

Jughead’s heart sank instantly. Betty’s locker was plastered with copies of the Blue and Gold. The issue proclaiming his father’s innocence. On top of the articles were words, written in what Jughead immediately realized was blood. 

_ Go to Hell, Serpent Slut.  _ The words caught in Jughead’s throat. The sight of the hanging Betty doll next to it made the message incredibly clear to him. Betty is in danger.

It was a fear Jughead hadn’t realized he had until this moment. But knowing that Betty could get hurt just from associating with him and his family, it was almost more than Jughead could stand to think about.  

Jughead felt his blood run cold as he glanced from Archie to Veronica to Kevin.  He looked to them as if they might understand what was happening. More and more people pulled out their phones, the shock of the moment giving away to general curiosity and the need to document every moment of a person’s private life. These were just spectators, people who were watching the fallout from his girlfriend’s actions. Actions that she had been so sure were good ones.  

“Betty?” Jughead asked, his voice sounding softer than he thought it would. He felt angry, like he could break the lockers in half if he wanted to. But he sounded scared. And he was scared, more afraid than he even wanted to admit to himself.  

He stepped in front of her locker as his words seemed to snap Betty back from whatever inner turmoil she was currently feeling. 

She lunged towards her locker, determined to remove the offensive vandalization. He held her back, for reasons that even he didn’t understand. As if he worried that taking things down would somehow make everything worse.  

“No. It’s nothing Jug.” Betty yelled, her voice breaking. “It’s just some jerk with a can of spray paint.”

“I don’t think that’s spray paint.” he told her in a whisper, as he managed to bring her focus back to him. 

Jughead held her close as he pulled her away from the crowd. Jughead wasn’t sure why, but Betty struggled against him, desperate to pull apart the display. But as hard as she struggle to get back to her locker, Jughead was determined to get her away from it. 

_ It won’t matter if we take it down. The point of the message was loud and clear.  _

Jughead pushed the two of them into the Blue and Gold office, away from the prying eyes. Betty finally stopped struggling as they had made it into their safe haven, a place where they could feel free to feel the weight of what they just witnessed.  

Jughead seemed to shake. Even he couldn’t tell if it was from fear or anger.

He slammed the door of the office shut, taking in a deep breath as the noise of the crowd dulled. Despite the quiet and this space, Jughead did not feel comforted. Instinctively, Jughead walked over to the office window and opened up. His mind raced as he prepared his and Betty’s escape.    

“Betty, we need to go.” Jughead told her, his voice giving away as he did. 

_ Go where?  _ Jughead wondered, but he didn’t feel like that really mattered right now. Just leaving, not being here anymore would be enough. It had to be enough.  

“No. I want to find out who it is.” Betty told him, anger coursing through her every word.  “They can’t have gotten far. It wouldn’t take much to track them.”

Betty started towards the door when Jughead ran over and grabbed her arm, giving her a look that made it clear what he was feeling.

“Betty.” Jughead started, a note of begging slipping through. “Whoever it is, will be long gone by now.” 

Someone vandalized her locker. In the middle of a school day and all anyone could do was gawk at it. 

Jughead could see that she wanted to go. There was a look in Betty’s eye that screamed of her desire to jump into the fray and figure out what happened. Usually Jughead would feel the same way, but he just couldn’t. The words still haunted him. It was as though he could see them flashing in front of his eyes every second since first seeing them. He needed to get them away from the words, he needed to create distant and that would make things better. At least he hoped it would.  

Before either of them could say anything else, the Blue and Gold office door opened.   

Veronica, Archie and Kevin ran into the Blue and Gold Office, looking out of breath and just as scared as Jughead felt.

“Betty, are you ok?” Kevin asked, rushing over to wrap her in a hug.

Jughead let her go, knowing Kevin wasn’t any more likely to think she should go back out there than he was.  

Betty nodded against Kevin’s shoulder as he let her go, his hand now resting on her arm.  

“Who would do something like this?” Archie asked, his temper firing up. 

“I don’t know but Betty, you and Jughead should get out of here.” Veronica said.

_ Finally, something Veronica Lodge and I can agree on.  _ Jughead thought gratefully.  

Betty shook her head, stubbornly.

“What about Polly?” Betty asked, her voice breaking. “I can’t leave her here.”

“We will take Polly home.” Kevin assured her. “Get out of here before my dad shows up.”

It didn’t take more provacation than that for Betty to grab her coat and walk out of the office, Jughead grabbing his bag from the the table, rushing behind to follow her. 

They stormed out of the school building, unaware until that moment that it has started snowing.

Jughead took a deep breath of relief. The cold air providing temporary relief from all the endless daunting thoughts running through his mind. Jughead wanted to run away from the school. Away from Riverdale. Run until he couldn’t run anymore. He wanted to take Betty far away from everything. But all he had to do was look to the girl next to him. 

Betty shivered, buttoning her coat and still looking shaken. 

_ She would never go.  _ Jughead determined.  _ And I’m not leaving her. Not now.  _

Jughead sighed as he began to calm down. 

“Do you wanna go to Pop’s or home?” Jughead asked of her, pulling his coat in on himself.

Betty shook her head quickly. 

“Not home.” Betty said, sounding less upset now as well. “It’s not that cold out, can we please just go for a walk?”

Jughead nodded as they started walking in the opposite direction of the Cooper house.

The streets of Riverdale were abandoned. It was the middle of the day and every one else was off doing their normal routine. People existing as they alway did, not knowing what either Betty and Jughead were going through. 

_ It’s my fault. She is being taunted and tormented because of me.  _ Jughead couldn’t help thinking.  __

Then Jughead shook his head, feeling very narcissistic in that moment. 

_ But it’s not about me. It is about her. Her locker was vandalized. Her words were used against her. Why am I thinking about me right now? _

Jughead looked over at Betty, her face not revealing anything she was thinking. And for once, Jughead couldn’t figure out how she was feeling. He knows she would have gone back to her locker and demanded answers if he and the rest of their friends hadn’t stopped. But why?  

“Are you ok?” Jughead asked, almost scared of the answer.

Betty almost scoffed at him in frustration. 

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Betty responded angrily.

“Because I need to know, Betts.” Jughead told her, stopping in his tracks. “After everything we’ve been through in the past couple days, I need to hear you tell me that you are ok.”

Betty looked at him, almost as though she were confused by his reaction.

_ How is she so calm right now? I don’t understand.  _

“I’m alright, Jug.” Betty told him, her voice maddeningly passive. “I’m mad that someone vandalized my locker, but I am not sure what people are expecting me to be…”

“They are expecting you to be scared.” Jughead said, his voice trembling. “Or at least freaked out.”

Betty took a deep breath.

“I’m not scared, Jug.” Betty said, clearly trying to reassure him of this. “I’m not afraid.”

Jughead looked away from her, both ashamed that she felt the need to comfort him and frustrated that she didn’t understand what was so upsetting about this.  

_ I am. I’m terrified, Betty. My thoughts keep spinning those words around in my mind and it is taking everything I have not to run away and never look back.  _

He couldn’t tell her this though, not with everything else that was happening right now. 

The two of them approached the Riverdale graveyard and continued to walk towards it. 

“I just don’t know who could have done it, Jug.” Betty told him, her thoughts still on the vandal. “I was at my locker a couple of hours ago with Polly and Veronica. Whoever it was, worked fast.”

Jughead wanted to shout in frustration. 

“It doesn’t matter who they were.” Jughead said, still not able to vocalize the anger he was feeling. “It’s the message that is important.”

“And what message is that?”

“That being my girlfriend makes you a target.” Jughead said, voicing one of the many thoughts screaming at him.

_ More than a target. That being my girlfriend ruins you. Makes you unworthy of notice or respect.  _

“Jug...” Betty began, not sure what she could possibly try to say to reassure him. 

“Go to Hell, Serpent Slut.” Jughead quoted, speaking the words twisting around in his head since he read them. “They are not calling you that because you are defending my dad.”

Betty’s eyes fell to the ground. 

“They are calling you that because you are with me.” 

The weight of his words filling him with anguish. It’s one thing to think it, but it is another to have to admit to it.

“I told you before Jughead, nothing is going to tear me away from you.” Betty informed him, as though she could not state this clearly enough.

Her words stung without meaning to.  

“But maybe it should.” Jughead said, despite all his internal protestations not to do so. Another one of the thoughts he couldn’t let go of. That she would be better off without him. 

“Juggie...” Betty started. 

“As long as you're with me or you're writing articles about me and my dad, trouble's just gonna keep coming at you from all sides.” he told her, keeping at least one step ahead of her.  

“It was just one jerk.” she tried to reassure him.

“It's not just one jerk.” Jughead argued. “It's Mayor McCoy. It's Sheriff Keller. It's Weatherbee. Social Services. It's the entire multiverse telling me that I don't belong here, so why don't I just do everyone a favor and…”

_ Let it go. Let the town go. Let my ideas of being a better person than what the world expects of me go.  _

_ Let you go.  _ Jughead finished in his head, though he felt himself tearing apart at the thought of it. 

“Hey!” Betty said, cupping his face gently, distracting him from the words he was about to say. “You belong here just as much as everyone else. This is your home. You know that right?”

“Yeah.” Jughead said, nodding.

He didn’t need the look Betty gave him to realize how unconvincing he was. He didn’t believe it. He didn’t belong there. All of Riverdale seemed adamant of reminding him of that every second of every day. 

But the look in Betty’s eyes made him want to change his answer. It was a look that while under any other circumstance could have been amusing, it made him realize just how serious she was. How he would never be able to leave this graveyard without giving her the answer that she wants. 

He didn’t belong here. In Riverdale. On the Northside of town, aligned with the so called angels and the powers that be. 

But he could belong with her. 

He looked back at her, a look of pure affection in his eyes. 

“Yes.” he told her and this time he could see that she believed him. 

She tucked her arms through his.

“Good.” Betty said with a smile. “I didn’t want to berate you here.”

“So what you’re saying is, you want to whistle past this graveyard?”

Betty playfully glared at him as they continued to walk.

The snow fell around them lightly. The playful part of Jughead wanted to stick out his tongue and taste the snowflakes, much like they used to do as children. But he couldn’t. There were still too many thoughts invading his mind. He needed to know what else was on her mind.  

“How are you so sure?” Jughead asked, curiosity getting the better of him. 

“What do you mean?” she asked, sounding genuinely confused. 

“You were sure my dad was innocent when even I wasn’t.” Jughead started. “You were sure that we would find Jason’s killer and we did. How can you just know these things?”

Betty smiled. 

“I have faith in a lot of things, Jughead.”

“Including me?” Jughead questioned, skeptical at best.

“Especially you.” she informed him “But there are things I am less certain about.”

“Such as…” Jughead asked, feeling less apprehensive as the subject changed. 

Betty sighed. Jughead could hear all of the doubts in her sigh.  

“You can tell me, Betty.” he said. “If it is about me, I assure you I understand.”

_ I mean, after everything we’ve been through in the past few days, weeks, months...doubts would be normal. Expected. Especially from someone like Betty Cooper, who plans out every other aspect of her life. Even I am doubting me right now.  _

“Not you. But your intentions.”

Jughead was surprised. 

“My intentions?” Jughead questioned. 

_ I’m not pressuring her am I? Does she think we are going too fast? Are we going to fast? _

“When things started falling apart, you ran away. From me, from your friends. To a bus station. You were planning to leave.”

Jughead sighed. 

_ Oh. That.  _

“I was.” Jughead admitted, not wanting to admit that he was still having those thoughts. 

“And I don’t know what stopped you, but I don’t think it was me and Archie.”

Jughead stared at the ground, feeling ashamed.

It might have stopped him. If he hadn’t been so distraught by everything that was going on with his dad, thinking about Betty could have kept him off of that bus. But in that moment, when everything felt lost and confusing, he needed to run. 

But Jughead knew that Betty wasn’t what kept him in Riverdale that night. He hadn’t told anyone else what had happened that night. It had clearly been on Betty’s mind.

“Jughead?” Betty asked, making Jughead realize he had been quiet for a long time.

Jughead took a deep breath. He didn’t talk about his family much, with anyone. Not even Archie. He had been trying to more and more since he and Betty started dating, but some things are harder to admit than others. The reason he stayed in Riverdale being one of the hardest things to say aloud.   

“I was planning to go visit my mom. Get out of Riverdale until…”

Jughead sighed, trying to get through this as painlessly as possible. 

“She didn’t want me to.” Jughead said, trying to sound matter of fact, but even he could hear the note of sorrow in his voice. 

“I am sure it wasn’t as simple as she didn’t want to.” Betty tried to rationalize.

“She had excuses.” Jughead explained, remembering the sound of his mother’s denial like it was only moments ago. “But I’ve heard so many of them in my life that they have stopped mattering. She and Jellybean are doing fine without my dad around. Without me around. And my mom doesn’t want to mess that up.”

_ And that’s the truth of it. She might not have used those words exactly, but I know that is the way she feels. Otherwise she would be here. She would call. She would care. _

“Juggie…” Betty replied sadly. 

“When my dad dropped us off at the dance, he told me he wanted to get our family back together.” he continued, needing to get all of this painful story out in one round. 

“I’m sorry, Jug.” Betty sympathized, rubbing her hand against his arm. “I know it must be hard not to get the chance to now.”

“Even before knowing my mom’s stance on it, I was already hesitant.” he admitted.

Betty looked at him, confused.  

“Why?” she asked.

“He didn’t want to bring Mom and Jellybean here.” Jughead said, taking a deep breath. “He wanted us to move to them.”

Betty’s face wore an expression of comprehension. 

“Pass on moving to Toledo for you.” she repeated his words of that night back to her. 

Jughead wince, remembering the malice in his voice as he had said those words to her. 

“I shouldn’t have said that.” Jughead told her. “I was angry and I was lashing out, even though you didn’t know what I meant.”

Jughead sighed, and he made himself look away from her. 

“It’s just like with my birthday party.” Jughead admitted. “I couldn’t handle what was happening, so I became the worst version of myself. Pushing away everyone who cares about me. Every I lo...lean on.”

Jughead took a deep breath, fully aware of what he almost admitted.

_ I really don’t want to tell a girl I love her for the first time in a snowy graveyard whilst I try to quiet down thoughts of running away.  _

Betty either didn’t notice or didn’t try to as they made their way back onto the street.

“Were you really going to pass on moving to Toledo for me?”

_ Of course.  _ Jughead thought, his brain still reeling from his almost confession of love. 

“For me too.” he decided to say instead. “For us.” 

Betty nodded as he continued. 

“Anyway, my mom is no longer an option.”

“But is Toledo?” Betty asked. “I mean is leaving still an option?”

“An option.” Jughead admitted. “But not one I am intending to take.”

Jughead could see Betty trying to mask her relief. He couldn’t help but smile at this. It made running away seem ridiculous. If the thought of him staying made her happy, how could he leave? 

“There you are.” Betty replied, happily. “I felt like I haven’t seen you smile in years.”

“It’s definitely felt like years.” Jughead agreed, his face almost hurting from the use of those rarely used facial muscles. “Though I am pretty sure I did yesterday when…”

But then he stopped himself. Not sure he was ready to admit to that either. 

“When I told Veronica that I was ok with her and Archie dating?” Betty replied, cleverly. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

Jughead gave out a breathy laugh. 

“I honestly didn’t think I was the focus of the conversation.” Jughead argued. “But since we are on the subject...are you ok with them?”

Betty sighed, as though she were tired of answering the question. 

“Of course.” Betty replied. “I told them I was.”

“But sometimes we don’t know how we feel until we give it some time. Like a few hours or a couple of days.”

Betty nodded. 

“I feel the same.” Betty replied, almost too stoically. “It’s strange for me, but they seemed to make each other happy.”

“That they do.” Jughead agreed quickly, planning to change the subject as soon as he could. 

“So how long have you known?” Betty asked. 

“What?” Jughead questioned, not sure what gave his foreknowledge away. 

“You clearly knew before I did.” Betty deduced. “There was no reaction from you when they made their announcement. Kevin practically floated out of his chair.”

_ I would like to think I am more subtle than Kevin.  _ Jughead thought amusedly. But rather than try to deny it, he decided since she knew it couldn’t hurt to come clean. 

“I found out the night of my birthday party.” Jughead admitted. 

“Wow.” Betty replied, genuinely surprised. “They kept it a secret for awhile.”

Jughead stared at her, trying to figure out what kind of reaction this was. 

“Are you upset I didn’t tell you?” Jughead asked, hopeful.

“I’m just wondering why you didn’t say anything.” Betty explained. 

“They both looked terrified at the possibility of anyone knowing. I told them I would keep it secret.” Jughead explained, remembering the looks on both their faces the morning after his birthday party. “I didn’t think the secret would last though; Archie is truly terrible at lying.”

Betty nodded, but didn’t speak. 

Jughead thought about asking more, but then decided against it. If Betty was truly ok with Veronica and Archie being together, he needed to trust her. 

They needed to trust each other. 

“So to summarize: you’re ok, I’m ok. Neither of us are going anywhere with anyone else.” Jughead explained. 

“That seems to be the state of things.” Betty replied with a grin. 

Jughead smiled. 

“We are gonna be ok, Jug. I know we are.” Betty told him, confidently. 

Jughead nodded as he wrapped his arm around her. 

_ I guess I just have to try to believe that.  _ Jughead thought, hoping that somehow the years of self doubt would allow him this. The chance to believe in the girl he loves and that they can face the world together if they fight hard enough. 

_ I have to try to believe.  _


	60. Chapter 60

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x13: Betty talks to Jughead about the possibility of him transferring to Southside High

Betty couldn’t believe what she just heard. 

_ Please don’t worry about me.  _ Jughead had said, moments ago on the phone. 

_ How am I not supposed to worry when Jughead is purposefully putting himself in a dangerous situation? _

Betty’s eyebrows furrowed as she hung up her call. She turned around to face Archie and Veronica, now sitting next to each other on the couch in the Riverdale High student lounge. 

The look on Betty’s face caused Veronica to become immediately concerned.  __

“Where is he?” she asked, 

“Southside High. He says it is where he belongs and that no one wants him here.” Betty told them, repeating Jughead’s words to them. 

_ But how could he possibly think that?  _ Betty wondered.  _ He knows that he has me and he has Archie. He even has Veronica too if he were willing to accept it. _

Archie looked concerned now too, leaning forward on the couch.  __

“FP told me he would cut himself off, go to the dark side.” Archie explained to them. 

Betty felt her breath hitch momentarily. She had known this was true; that Jughead would push them away when he started feeling scared or abandoned, but hearing Archie confirm this just made everything feel worse. 

“Archie, we can’t let him do that.”

_ If we let him go, we could lose him forever.  _ Betty concluded.  _ The boy I love could be lost in a sea of serpents if Archie and I let him go right now.  _

“You’re right.” Veronica said, hopping off the couch, a look of pure determination in her face.

“What are we supposed to do?” Archie asked, standing up next to Veronica.

“We going to go get him.” Veronica said. 

It wasn’t a discussion. All it took was an exchanged look between the three of them to know that was exactly what they were gonna do. 

Betty quickly grabbed her coat from the chair she had been sitting in before as the three of them raced from the Riverdale High student lounge to the parking lot. 

“How are we going to get there?” Archie asked, pushing the front doors of the school open. 

“I drove my mom’s car today.” Betty said, suddenly grateful that Polly had needed to be dropped off for an early morning doctor’s appointment.

The three of them headed towards Alice’s beat up station wagon, once again knowing without saying exactly how they would be sitting.

Betty unlocked the car doors and got in the driver’s side, Veronica taking the passenger’s side and Archie crawling into the back.

“Where is Southside High?” Veronica asked, buckling her seat belt quickly.

“On the south side of town.” Archie answered, not bothering with his seat belt, leaning forward in his seat. 

Veronica barely concealed a scoff. 

“I worked that one out, shockingly enough.” Veronica retorted as Betty started the car, the archaic engine sputtering to life.

“It's a couple blocks from the Drive-in” Betty replied, putting the car into reverse and backing out of the parking space.

“Before we get too far into this chase, why do we need to rush to his rescue?” Veronica asked, sounding annoyed.

Betty wanted to glare at her, but her mother’s voice cautioning her to keep her eyes on the road won out. 

“Because he's exiling himself.” Archie explained, sounding almost as upset as Betty felt. “He's doing it to be noble.”

Veronica scoffed once again. 

“Ugh nobility. Vastly overrated.” Veronica replied, her eyes rolling.

Betty took a deep breath. She was gripping the steering wheel tightly, feeling a similar sensation to when she would curl her nails into the palms of her hands. She closed her eyes momentarily, trying to force herself to calm down. 

Veronica had clearly noticed and she placed a consoling hand on Betty’s shoulder. 

“We are gonna get to him in time B.” Veronica explained, her tone much more sympathetic than it had been a moment ago. 

“Yeah, Betty. Nothing is going to happen to Jug.” Archie agreed, leaning even closer to the front of the car now. 

Betty nodded her head, not sure she would be able to respond to them verbally and continued on down the streets of Riverdale, allowing Archie and Veronica’s words to seep in. 

_ We are not gonna let anything happen to him.  _ Betty decided, loosening her grip on the wheel.  _ He is going to be ok.  _

***

Jughead Jones had gotten through the Southside High security with minimal problems. For some unknowable reason, no one questioned why a strange kid no one knew was suddenly roaming the halls of the school without any guidance. 

_ Either they don’t pay attention to the students here or they just don’t care what happens to them.   _ Jughead thought, knowing that an unknown teenager walking into Riverdale High would be more than just gawked at, they would be ostracized and thrown off the grounds without a moment’s hesitation. 

_ Maybe it’s just that I don’t stick out here. I am practically an eyesore in the halls of Riverdale High, at Southside I don’t seem to be perceived any differently than any of the other students. _

Jughead knew this should worry him. That he should want to be easily confused for a Southside student or a Serpent. But it didn’t bother him. It actually gave him a sense of inclusion, a strange sense of belonging in this strange place.

Now that he was in the school, he didn’t know exactly what he should do. He could probably walk into any classroom and no one would be any the wiser about him not being a student there. 

_ But why go to class when that is far from the most important part of the day? _

Jughead felt his stomach grumble and he instantly knew where he should go. Operating purely on instinct, he navigated Southside High with ease, the path to the cafeteria clearer than he could have ever expected. 

He walked through the doors, the pungent smell doing nothing to deter the sudden ache in Jughead’s stomach. 

He walked over to the lunch line, standing behind the already formed queue. The lunch lady placed a tray in front of Jughead containing an orange, a small portion of fries, and a sandwich that looked more bread than any other ingredient. Jughead handed the lunch lady a couple dollars and sought out an abandoned table. 

Most of the tables in the cafeteria were taken by a wide assortment of students that Jughead was sure he had never seen before in his life. He found an empty one and quickly sat down, tearing into the orange with gusto, shoving the pieces in his mouth faster than he could swallow, the mere action of eating making Jughead feel more at ease in this foreign place.  

It almost felt like Southside was a completely different from the world he had grown up in. Though they had lived on the Southside for as long as Jughead could remember, he had only ever remembered being with Archie and Betty. Had his father tried to get him to engage with other Southside kids? In a different world, where his dad didn’t use his connections to Fred to keep Jughead in the Riverdale school system, would this have been Jughead’s life? Would he have grown up playing with Joaquin or other young Serpents, hoping one day to grow up to have that infamous snake tattoo?

Jughead shook his head, unable to picture it. He couldn’t reconcile the idea of himself as a true child of the Southside. Archie and Betty and Riverdale were so much a part of him that any life that they were not a part of didn’t feel like it could possibly be Jughead’s life. 

Jughead pulled a book out of his pocket, deciding that continuing to stare around the room was probably asking for trouble. Despite what he told Betty, he was scared of what could happen to him here. His highest hope was to fly under the radar, be as unseen as he could possibly be. 

He got no more than a couple pages into his book when he saw someone approaching the table out of the corner of his eye. 

Jughead looked away from his book, seeing a teen clad in the iconic Serpent jacket standing on his right. While his attention was focused on this Serpent, another Serpent approached on the other side of him, taking a fry off of his plate. 

He knew it was irrational. These guys had a reputation for being dangerous, yet all Jughead could think about in that moment was the stolen french fry. He glared at the Serpent, not thinking about what his next actions could mean for him. 

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it is impolite to steal food?” Jughead remarked snarkily.

The Serpent jerked back a little, seeming surprised by Jughead’s word. 

“My mother was murdered in a turf war when I was three.” the Serpent remarked, his eyes downcast.

Jughead was immediately struck with grief. He should have known not to say something so reckless here. Everyone knew what a tough life living on the Southside could be.  

“Geez, man. I am so sorry.” Jughead began, almost moving to pat the Serpent on the shoulder. 

The Serpent began laughing maniacally, scaring Jughead more than he wanted to admit. 

“I’m just screwing with you, bro.” the Serpent remarked. “I’m Ricky. This is Jesse, Viper, Edge, Violet, Axel, and Dee.” 

The Serpent pointed to the other teens Jughead now noticed were surrounding him. 

Jughead gulped and nodded.

“You’re FP’s kid, right?” Ricky asked.

Jughead nodded, hoping that revealing this was the right choice. 

“It’s fucking insane that he is still in jail for murdering that kid.” one of the other Serpents remarked. 

“Come on Vip, it’s not like we didn’t expect one of us to get pinned for that.” one of the female Serpent remarked. 

There was a grunt of ascent at the table. 

_ Did they really think that way?  _ Jughead wondered.  _ That it was just a matter of time before they got finger pointed in their direction? _

_ Like I did when Sheriff Keller brought me in for questioning.  _

“He actually tried to pin it on me first.” Jughead told them, feeling like this was the right move. 

“You’re kidding?” one of the other Serpents questioned.

“Nope.” Jughead said, popping the “p” in nope as he ate a fry off his plate. “Keller thought that being bullied by Blossom made me the prime suspect.”

“What an idiot.” Ricky remarked, moving to sit in front of Jughead, clearly interested in what Jughead had to say.

“Seriously.” Jughead agreed, eating a bite from his sandwich. “If I got homicidal every time some stupid jock thought that tossing a ball made him superior to me, I’d be able to flood the streets of Riverdale with the amount of blood I spilled.”  

The group laughed and Jughead felt himself relax a bit.

_ Maybe it won’t be so hard to be here after all.  _

*** 

Betty barely put the station wagon in park before jumping out, keys still in the ignition.

She slammed the car door and began running towards the school building. 

She heard Archie and Veronica jogging behind her, one of them jingling her keys in their hands as they followed her.  

Betty, Archie and Veronica stormed into the halls of Southside High, quickly squeezing themselves through the metal detectors, not bothering to pay attention to whether or not they had set them off. 

“Where would he be?” Veronica asked, looking quickly to Betty. 

“Cafeteria” Archie and Betty say at the same time, looking at each other, not a doubt in either of their minds. Betty almost smiled at their mutual love for Jughead.  

Betty felt herself rush towards the room that was clearly the cafeteria. She didn't want to admit how afraid she was for Jughead. She had spent the better part of the last few days defending the Serpents as good, misunderstood people. But even as Betty typed the words, she doubted. She wanted to believe the best of them, but she had spent so much of her life in fear of them, of the world they live that she couldn't just let that go. And she couldn't let Jughead go to them. Betty couldn’t let them hurt Jughead. 

She glanced through the windows in the door of the cafeteria. Jughead sat at a long table, huge plate of food in front of him and was surrounded by a bunch of Serpents. Betty felt her stomach give way. 

_ That can’t be good.  _

She pushed vehemently through the doors and charged into the room, prepared to drag Jughead away by any means necessary. 

Once in the room, her perspective changed. The Serpents weren’t menacingly surrounding Jughead; they were gathered as Jughead told some sort of story. One that made all of them laugh. Laugh and show Jughead appreciation, one of them even patting Jughead good naturedly on the shoulder. 

Betty's stomach turned once again for a reason she couldn't quite figure out. 

“Jug?” Betty asked, perplexed by what she was witnessing.

Jughead felt his stomach drop as he heard Betty’s voice behind him. He turned around, feeling the smile on his face disappearing. 

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked, sounding more upset than Betty thought he would be. More than thought he would be.  

“We were concerned.” Veronica said in an undertone, looking at Jughead questioningly. 

“Yeah, dude.” Archie said, his eyes never leaving the Serpents that surrounded the table. “We thought you might be in some kind of trouble.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Richie?” Ricky asked, immediately jumping over the table, approaching Archie angrily. 

“Nothing.” Archie said, stepping back a little. 

Ricky stepped closer to Archie, looking as though he wanted to say something, but Jughead rushed to his feet, placing himself between Ricky and Archie. 

“It’s ok, Ricky.” Jughead assured him, the anxiety that he had felt earlier returning as he watched the anger bubble in the two people that he stood in between. “These are my friends.”

Jughead wasn’t sure why, but he knew this statement would carry weight.

He was proven correct as Ricky took a couple steps back, his eyes never leaving Archie.

Betty tensed. 

_ Jughead stood between them.  _ Betty thought.  _ Jughead placed himself in the middle of Archie and some Serpent that Jughead knew the name of. Some Serpent Jughead felt the need to defend.  _

Betty began to feel queasy, her stomach turning for what felt the millionth time in the past thirty minutes. 

Jughead saw the look of shock on Betty’s face and knew that they couldn’t continue this conversation here. But the conversation had to continue. 

“Let’s take this outside.” Jughead said, grabbing Betty’s shoulder as they started to leave the room.

“Are you gonna sit in on Phillips class?” Ricky asked. “It’s next period.”

Betty internally winced. The familiarity was shocking. 

Jughead shook his head at his new friend. 

“Since I don’t technically go to school here, I am sure I can miss this one.” Jughead replied, continuing towards the door. “I’ll talk to you later.” 

Ricky and the other Serpents nodded, returning to a seated position at the table. 

Betty was amazed by what she just saw. The Serpent backed down because Jughead told him to. They seemed to respect Jughead for a reason that she didn’t understand. 

The four of them walked into the hallway, allowing the cafeteria doors to fully close before any of them uttered a word. 

“Jug, let’s get back to our school.” Archie said, placing a guiding hand on Jughead’s back. “Phylum is bound to notice we are gone.”

Jughead felt himself grow frustrated with his friends. He had told Betty that he didn’t need help. Why the hell were they here?

“What is up with you guys?” Jughead asked, not moving. “You’re acting like I descended into the bowels of hell.”

Archie and Betty exchanged glances. Betty could practically feel the way she and Archie were sharing brainwaves.  

“Haven’t you?” Betty couldn’t stop herself from asking. 

“Betty, come on.” Jughead beckoned, his voice practically groaning in frustration. 

“I’m serious. This place…” Betty quickly glanced around, hoping that the way to say what she needed to say would be written on the walls. 

“It’s not safe here, Jughead.” Veronica explained, saving Betty from trying.

Jughead actually groaned this time. 

_ Veronica Lodge is concerned about me?  _ Jughead questioned. Though they had been through a lot together recently, he still found it hard to believe that Veronica was more than just a Park Avenue Princess. He found himself looking into her eyes, seeking the vanity her associated her with. 

But he didn’t see her that way; she was actually worried about him. She wasn’t just here for Betty and Archie. This realization made Jughead back down.   

“Look, I appreciate your concern.” Jughead reassured first Veronica and then Betty and Archie. “But I am fine. More than fine. I am actually happy.”

Betty felt her skin crawl at the idea of it. 

“Happy?” Archie asked, sounding as annoyed as Betty felt. 

“Is that so hard to believe?” Jughead questioned, his frustration with his friends returning. 

Before any of them could respond, a man in a security uniform walked over to them. 

“Listen kids, I’m gonna need you to get on to class. You can’t just stand in the hallway.” the security guard explained. 

“We’re not students here, sir.” Archie replied quickly, looking as though he wanted to grab all of them and start running.

“Then I’m gonna need you to leave.” The guard replied, sounding less reasonable. “Now!”

The four of them quickly rushed out the doors into the snowy day, none of them looking back to see if the guard was following them.

The cool wind burst in all of their faces, painfully reminding them of the unusually cold fall they were having this year in Riverdale.  

“Jughead, we should really get back to school.” Betty reasoned, trying to loop her arm through his, guiding them back to the car.

“Why?” Jughead asked, hearing the sound of descent in his voice. 

“What do you mean, why?” Archie asked, clearly not understanding why Jughead was behaving this way. 

“I don’t belong there, Archie.” Jughead explained. 

Both Betty and Jughead felt their stomachs drop at these words. Jughead hadn’t meant to say the words, but now that he had, he had known it was true. As much as he loved his friends, his found family, and loved the town of Riverdale, he was never going to feel like he belonged there. 

“That’s not true.” Betty replied, her voice quavering. 

_ It can’t be.  _ Betty determined.  _ You belong, you fit. How can you not see that? _

Jughead heard Betty’s weak protestations and felt himself fighting back.

“Answer me this. Has anyone besides the three of you noticed my absence?” Jughead asked, not knowing what answer he actually wanted from them.

Archie, Betty and Veronica glanced at each other. Betty tried to think, but it was easy enough to figure out. No one had even acknowledged that Jughead had been gone in any of the classes they had attended. Jughead was right. 

Betty felt her heart drop this time.

“That’s not the point, Jug.” Archie argued, appearing at the same conclusion Betty had. “You belong with us. With me. With your friends.”

“With me, Jug.” Betty added, a sad sound invading her voice without her permission. 

Jughead sighed. He didn’t understand why they were all so upset, why they were all so determined for him not to be here. 

Betty glanced over at Veronica and Archie, hoping one of them would be able to say the magic thing that would make Jughead see they were right and that he should come back with them. Archie and Veronica looked to each other before looking at Betty, clearly out of reassuring things to say. 

“Guys, Jughead and I are going to talk, privately.” Betty said, grabbing Jughead’s arm and pulling him away as Veronica nodded at them. 

Jughead suddenly felt relieved. It would be much easier to talk this out one on one with Betty. She was really the one he needed to convince anyway. He started guiding her now, pulling her over to a car, before sitting on the hood of it.

Betty glanced around, wondering why Jughead would choose this as a place for them to have a private discussion.

“Are you sure you can just lean against someone else’s car?” Betty asked, concerned that the owner of the car would cause them trouble.

“It’s Ricky’s. He won’t mind.” Jughead told her with an authority that even he didn’t quite understand.

Jughead wasn’t sure how or why it happened, but things just clicked together when the Serpents joined him at the table. He felt like he had known them his entire life, like he understood them. He knew that Ricky genuinely wouldn’t mind Jughead sitting on the front of his beat up Chrysler that he had spent years restoring with his grandmother. Ricky respected Jughead for a reason that Jughead didn’t understand. 

“Ok.”Betty agreed, not understanding the connection between Jughead and these Serpents any better than Jughead did. Maybe even less so. 

Betty glanced around the school yard. Despite the weather, there were a lot of students roaming around. Though the bell had rung moments ago, these kids didn’t seem concerned in the slightest about getting back to class.

_ It’s not a big deal.  _ Betty thought.  _ Kids skip class at Riverdale High too, it isn’t a big deal.  _

But Betty was pretty sure that when her fellow Riverdale High students skipped class, they weren’t up to potentially nefarious plans. At worst, a Riverdale High student would be making out in a broom cupboard, not conducting less than clandestine drug deals inches away from school property. 

_ No, you can’t just judge them like that, Betty.  _ Betty chastised herself.  _ People are more than what you think they are.  _

But these thoughts didn’t shake the ominous feeling in her heart. The feeling that if Jughead stuck around here too long, he wouldn’t be able to come back.   __

“Betty don’t be upset.” Jughead said, sounding as though he were pleading with her.

This snapped Betty’s attention away from her further plummeting thoughts.  

“I’m not upset.” Betty told him, trying to make herself believe it as much as Jughead.

Jughead didn’t need to know Betty as well as he did to realize just how poorly she was lying to him right now. 

“Really? Can you tell your face that?’ Jughead said, amusedly.

Betty sighed. He was right of course. 

“I just. I don’t understand.” Betty tried to explain, hoping she didn’t sound too prejudice “Why didn’t you warn me you were gonna enroll in Southside High?”

It was Jughead’s turn to sigh. 

“I didn't tell you ahead of time cause I knew you woulda tried to stop me.” he told her earnestly.

_ He knows me too well.  _ Betty concluded, almost amusing herself. 

“Damn straight.” Betty replied vehemently “And I'm still gonna try.”

“Betty, the Southside is where the powers that be want me.” Jughead explained, hoping that this explanation would be enough for her. “Maybe I want to be here as well. I may blend in better here. And you know, it will keep you safe.”

He made it sound so simple. That he belonged here because he should belong here. And Betty wanted that for him. She wanted Jughead to have a place where he belonged. But she didn’t think it was in the Southside, surrounded by drug dealers and sketchy low lifes.

And it would keep her safe? Like that mattered when every day that he was here, he was risking his own safety. How could Betty live with it?

He belonged with her. He belonged at Riverdale High, at the Blue and Gold. He should be sitting in the stands with Kevin rolling his eyes as she and Veronica cheered and Archie played. 

She wasn’t going to give him up. Not to Southside, not to anybody or anything.  

“I'm not letting Riverdale's civil war split us apart, Jug.”

Betty sighed as she retreated into his arms, the warmth radiating from his body making Betty feel truly calm for what felt like the first time all day. 

He returned her hug, holding her close. 

_ She’s so determined.  _ Jughead thought. He had always known this about Betty. She was someone who never said die even when the rest of the world was begging her to stop. It was one of the things he had always loved about her, even before he entertained the idea of loving her. She believed in things more than anyone else in the world. She believed they could find Jason Blossom’s killer, that she could have her family back together, that Veronica could be more than just a scheming socialite. Betty’s determined and faith were things that Jughead could not comprehend at times. He was determined to survive and had faith that he could, but beyond that, he didn’t believe in many things.

But he believed in Betty. He believed in their relationship, their bond. He believed that the connection that they shared could mean more than all of the doubts in his mind. 

Jughead leaning his mouth towards her ear, suddenly knowing exactly what to say to her. 

“What’s Romeo and Juliet without a little house rivalry?” Jughead whispered, feeling a smile creep across his face as Betty let out a breathy laugh.

Betty was so surprised at his words, the laugh had slipped out without her permission.  

“I thought you hated Romeo and Juliet?” she told him, trying to stop herself from sounding too happy about this reference. 

“Maybe I’m coming around to it.” Jughead shrugged against her, still smiling. “I’m a sucker for a story about star crossed lovers that turns tragic.”

Betty smiled at this. 

“It doesn’t have to be tragic.” Betty explained. 

She broke away to look at him, trying to convince him of her words with just the look in her eyes.

“Romeo and Juliet is by definition a tragedy.” Jughead asked, the tone of his voice coming across as playful, but Betty could see he was concerned.

“Not where I’m standing.” Betty said, determined to make Jughead see this. “If they really tried to make it work, communicated and didn’t let the world around them tear them away from each other, it doesn’t have to end badly.”

Jughead smiled. “Maybe I should try standing where you are.”

Betty nodded. 

Jughead shook his head at her in almost amused confusion. 

“How are we here?” he asked Betty. 

“Well, you sneaked off to a school on the other side of town without saying anything…” Betty started, though she knew that he wasn’t asking about this exact situation. 

“No, I mean, how are we here?” Jughead said, pulling her closer to him. “You and me together, two seekers of truth, tellers of knowledge standing on opposites sides of a war we didn’t see coming?”

They both contemplated his question, neither having a real answer. 

“I don’t know Jug.” she said honestly, reaching out for his hand, lacing her fingers in his. “But I want to try to weather through it together.”

Jughead sighed, feeling more content than he felt like he deserved. 

“What a cruel thing war is... to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love.” Jughead said, speaking before his thoughts could catch up with him.

_ Did I just say I loved her without actually saying it?  _ Jughead thought, hating himself.  _ What if this freaks her out and she goes running?  _

Jughead gulped, looking to Betty, trying to figure out if she was making plans to run away. 

Jughead looked immediately panicked for a reason Betty could not understand. 

Love. Jughead said love. 

_ Did he mean to say it to me? Was it supposed to be just another moment of Jughead obscure quoting? _

But Betty quickly realized she didn’t care. Just hearing Jughead say the word love filled her with such hope, such promise. Maybe he didn’t love her right now, but maybe someday he could. And that was enough for her right now. 

“Jug. I just want you to know that I…” Betty began, but was stopped by a panicked shuffling from behind Jughead. 

“Guys!” Veronica shouted behind them. “We have to go!”

“What are you talking about, V?” Betty asked, sounding more bitter than she should at this interruption.

Jughead broke apart from Betty, turning to face Veronica.  

“Cheryl sent a cryptic message about wanting to be with Jason.” Veronica said, glancing over at Archie. “I think she wants to hurt herself. Archie thinks it is at Sweetwater River.”

Betty and Jughead exchanged terrified glances.

_ Would Cheryl actually try to hurt herself?  _ Jughead questioned.  _ No. She’s a fighter. She can’t, she just couldn’t. _

But Jughead wasn’t sure. 

Betty on the other hand was. 

_ We should have known something was up. She gave Jughead her broach and Veronica her captainship… _

Betty was angry at herself for not realizing that Cheryl was on this path of self destruction. So wrapped up in the drama of her own life, too distracted to see how much Cheryl was suffering by the discovery of Jason’s true killer. 

“Sweetwater is only a couple blocks from here.” Jughead explained, grabbing Betty’s hand.

The four of them took off towards the station wagon, once again operating as a unit. There were no arguments about who should go where. Everyone quickly slammed their car doors as Betty started the drive towards Sweetwater River. 

The streets of Riverdale were still vacant, meaning that they arrived at the river in record time. The four of them bounded from the car, racing up the hills that would lead down to Sweetwater River, hoping that they were in time to stop Cheryl from making a terrible mistake.

“Juggie!” Betty yelled, trailing behind the rest. 

_ What if we don’t make it? What if it is already too late?  _

_ It can’t be. We can’t lose Cheryl. She doesn’t deserve this. _

Betty could barely contain the sorrow in her heart. The feeling of having already lost. The defeat washing over her in a way it never had before.

Jughead panicked, the severity of the situation striking him. He listened as Archie shouted in a way that spoke of the utmost terror. Jughead watched as the light in Betty’s eyes fade. The worry was etched in her every feature and it made Jughead ache. He knew they had to find Cheryl. She had to be ok. Not just for her sake, but for Betty’s and for Archie’s. 

Jughead reached for Betty’s hand, grasping it tightly, hoping that they made it in time to save Cheryl. Hoping for everyone’s sanity that they could.

***

Hours later, as Betty gave her speech about how the town needed to start being accountable for itself, Jughead felt inspired. Not just by the words of his girlfriend’s speech, but by the reaction of the town. They all looked to her for inspiration, for guidance. And Jughead knew you couldn’t ask for a better guiding force than Betty Cooper. Betty Cooper, who even in her doubts would never condemn a single resident of the town who didn’t deserve condemnation. She was open to the world and the general idea of acceptance. 

_ It’s no wonder I love her.  _ Jughead determined, his hands becoming sore as he continued to clap along with the rest of the town.  _ All I’ve ever wanted was to belong and all Betty ever does is welcome.  _

Betty felt more relief than she could possibly say as the citizens of Riverdale clapped for her speech. She knew that the entirety of the town wasn’t here, but word would get out. Riverdale would be changed. This would be a new beginning for the town, hopefully a beginning that would make it better place for everyone. 

She saw Jughead smiled as he continued to clap along with the rest of the crowd. 

_ I couldn’t have asked for a fiercer protector. Someone who would risk everything, including public humiliation, to make me feel like what I said was important, that it mattered. It’s no wonder I love him.  _

As the night continued on, Betty and Jughead’s hearts only filled with more and more love. Neither of them could contain the feelings building inside of them for more than a few hours. 

They stood in FP’s trailer and proclaimed their love for each other. Jughead had never been more terrified of anything in his entire life. Betty had never been so sure of anything in hers. And though the night wouldn’t end the way either of them hoped it would, it ended with love. The sweet assurances that they would wake up the next day still loving each other, even if they woke up on opposite sides of town in separate beds. How they felt would carry through all the trials to come, all the despair that could be on the horizon. For them, in this moment, love was enough.  

Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones were in love. And that is the beginning and the end of the story.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's Season 1 folks. Much much later than I had intended to finish it, but I have finished it now. Yay!
> 
> As for Season 2, I haven't started writing it yet, but I will soon and I will be publishing it a little differently than this fic. Rather than as one big story, I am going to bundle two or three episodes together in multiple fics, all a part of the Missing and Extended Moments Series. I will try to keep you guys updated on my progress on my tumblr page litladyloveshp.tumblr.com
> 
> Start looking for Season 2 of Missing and Extended Moments towards the beginning of March. I feel like it is going to be a challenge to write a canon compliant Bughead fic in a Season 2 Bughead frame of mind, but I am up to the challenge. Also, I look forward to writing other characters (I tried so hard to write Cheryl and Reggie in Season 1, but it was just not working out). Hope you enjoyed this fic and this final chapter.


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